When A Heart Calls Your Name
by Bobbi's Bindings
Summary: Jack and Elizabeth are about to celebrate 40 years of marriage and they are reminded of their beautiful lives together.
1. Chapter 1 First Impressions

**When a Heart Calls Your Name**

**Chapter 1**

**First Impressions**

Jacob drove Jack into town so they could figure out what to buy Grandma Beth for their 30th wedding anniversary. Jack loved spending time with his grandson Jacob and he didn't have the opportunity to see him that often because he didn't live in town. Jacob had recently gotten his driver's license and Grandpa Jack was happy to test him out. As they were driving, Jack looked over at Jacob and he was reminded how Jacob got his deep blue eyes - from his Elizabeth. Jack saw Elizabeth in everything – she was always on his mind and always in his heart.

As Jack and Jacob looked around the department store, Jacob asked, "Grandpa Jack, what do you think Grandma Beth would like for your anniversary?"

"I'm not sure, Jacob, let's talk awhile and maybe we can figure that out." So Jack and Jacob sat down at the lunch counter and ordered some coffee and pie. Grandpa Jack asked, "Did I ever tell you about the first time I met Grandma Beth?"

Jacob replied, "Yes, but tell me again."

Grandpa Jack shared…

It was the year 1910 and as a young Mountie, I arrived in Coal Valley right after the big explosion that took the lives of 47 men. I was 26 at the time and frankly, I was disappointed to have been sent to a small coal mining town. I wanted adventure and I thought I'd find more excitement at the busy shipping port of Cape Fullerton. Can you believe it, Jacob? I wanted to be stationed in your hometown!

On my first day in Coal Valley, I rode to the mine to diffuse a situation. Most of the townspeople were there at that time. As I rode up on my horse Taylor, I was drawn to the prettiest lady I had ever seen in my life, your Grandma. My first impression was how stunning she was, how beautiful her eyes were, just like yours, Jacob. She was standing there holding a young boy and at the time, I assumed the boy was her son and that her husband was one of the miners that died in the explosion. It wasn't until the next day that I was pleasantly surprised to find that she wasn't married, that the child wasn't hers, and that she had just come to Coal Valley to be the new school teacher.

There was a saloon in town that also served as the school during the day and it had a second floor with rooms for rent. I rented one of those rooms when I first got to town. On my second day, I came down the stairs and I was met with, "Hello, I didn't know anyone else was here." You see, it had been Grandma Beth's first day of school and she was writing on the chalkboard when she saw me and we introduced ourselves to each other. I can say now that we had an instant attraction to each other. But as time went on that day, I never would have admitted that.

If you remember, Grandma Beth grew up in a big home with a wealthy family and she had all of the material things that money could buy. But she dreamed of coming out west to teach children just like her Aunt Elizabeth Delaney. That day we met, during our introductions, I realized that your Great-grandpa William had me stationed in Coal Valley just to make sure your Grandma was safe. When I figured that out, I was furious that I would be stationed in a small mining town that would be dull with no action. Little did I know!

I didn't know Grandma's strong will and character at that time, and I insulted her by telling her that she wouldn't last a week in Coal Valley. I told her that I was there to watch her so that 'daddy's princess' doesn't stub a toe. Well, that really made Grandma mad! She said, "I'm a Thatcher, I don't run from a challenge, and I can take care of my own stubbed toes, thank you very much!" My first impressions of your Grandma really confused me: I was angry with her and attracted to her at the same time. I didn't know whether to argue with her or find reasons to spend time with her. But I knew this: I could feel her heart calling my name.

"Do you have a special girl, Jacob? Do you know what I mean when I say I could feel her heart calling my name?"

Jacob replied, "Not really, grandpa. At sixteen, I've been on two dates with a girl named Mary; I like her and all, but I'm so busy and focused on my grades and my baseball game, that I really haven't spent much time on girls."

Grandpa Jack stated, "That's okay, Jacob, you're young. You have plenty of time to figure that all out. When God puts two people together, no matter what you do, you don't have any control over how He knits your hearts together. Sometimes this happens instantly and sometimes it takes a good, long while. But when you find The One, Jacob, your heart will call her name."

"Reminiscing about that first day when I met your Grandma, I now have an idea for our anniversary. She loves art and I haven't drawn her anything in years. I think she might enjoy me drawing a picture of us in the saloon when we first met. What do you think, Jacob? I could caption the drawing, 'First Impressions.'"

Jacob told Grandpa Jack that he liked his idea about the drawing. Jacob knew how he loved to receive special gifts such as a baseball that Clifford Bogstie used in the perfect game that he pitched in 1931.

Jack and Jacob finished their coffee and pie, picked up some art supplies, and headed back home to Grandpa Jack's house. When they walked in the door, they could smell something baking and as they walked into the kitchen, Jack saw Elizabeth taking some biscuits out of the oven. Elizabeth said, "Hi, you two. Did you find what you were looking for? Are you hungry? I just made some fresh biscuits and I have some homemade strawberry jam to go with them."

Jack replied, "Hello, love. No thank you on the biscuits, I'm not hungry right now. But you could give me a kiss to sweeten my day."

"Jack Thornton, are you wanting a kiss as an excuse not to eat my biscuits? Jacob, did I ever tell you about the first time I made dinner for Grandpa Jack?"

"Elizabeth, I have a special project to work on. How about you sit down with Jacob and tell him all about that eventful evening when you first cooked for me. It's kind of a long story and Jacob's a growing boy. I'm sure he'd love to have some of your biscuits and jam with you."

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2 Chicken & Spice and

**When a Heart Calls Your Name**

**Chapter 2**

**Chicken & Spice and Everything…Not so Nice! **

It gave Jack great joy to work on Elizabeth's gift and he gathered up his art supplies to head out to the backyard. Fortunately, it was a beautiful sunny day in Coal Valley and he loved to be outside in the cool, crisp air. Jack could hardly contain his excitement about drawing for Elizabeth again and he knew it would be hard to keep this secret from her. But before he went outside, he wanted to clarify something with Jacob.

"Jacob," Grandpa Jack said with concern, "I made a mistake thinking it was Grandma's and my 30th wedding anniversary. It's our 40th wedding anniversary. That's our secret, okay? I guess I'm just getting older and can't remember things like I used to. But the one thing I'll always remember is how special grandma is and how I feel about your grandma. I love her more today than ever! I know that's hard to imagine because I loved her so much on our wedding day 40 years ago. But over time, when you're with the One that makes your heart dance, it just gets better and better!

Jacob nodded his head and said, "It's okay, Grandpa, I knew it was 40 years. Otherwise, my mom would have been fourteen when she had me!" Jacob hugged his grandpa and went out to the kitchen with Grandma Beth.

Grandma Beth and Jacob sat down at the kitchen table with a tray of biscuits and some homemade strawberry jam. Grandma Beth asked Jacob, "Are you getting tired of hearing stories about us? Would you rather do something else? When the rest of the family comes in next weekend to celebrate our anniversary, you're probably going to hear some of these same stories again. Are you sure you want to hear another one now?"

Jacob replied, "Grandma Beth, I love to hear you and Grandpa share your stories about your lives together, about mom, and about Uncle Thomas and Uncle William. You surely have had some exciting adventures together!" Jacob spread some strawberry jam on a biscuit and took a bite. "Grandma, you make the best biscuits and jam. Were you always a good cook?"

Grandma Beth stated, "Did I ever tell you about the first meal I made for your grandpa? While I was growing up in Toronto, Jacob, I never learned how to cook. Great Grandpa and Grandma Thatcher had a butler and chef and no one in our family had any desire to cook or bake. When I moved out west to Coal Valley, I moved in with a lovely lady, Abigail Stanton, who became my closest and dearest friend. Do you remember me speaking about her before Jacob? That's why we named your mom Emily Abigail Thornton.

Abigail was a wonderful cook and baker and it wasn't until she opened her café that I had any serious interest in learning. If I'm being completely forthcoming, the real reason I was interested in learning to cook was because your grandpa Jack and I started courting. Your grandpa knew how to cook and sew and other things that I couldn't do very well. And you know how I don't back down from a challenge, Jacob, and I was determined to show him that I could cook!

Unfortunately, I was a little premature in thinking that my skills were good enough to cook for Grandpa Jack myself. You see, Abigail had just gotten married to Bill Avery and they decided to close the café for a week while they went on their honeymoon. I figured it was the perfect timing for me to cook supper for Grandpa because I'd have the kitchen all to myself! So I invited Grandpa Jack for a special supper for just the two of us and I would serve Chicken Paprikash, Green Beans, and biscuits.

Grandpa was to arrive at the café at 6 p.m. for dinner so I started everything about 4 p.m. Prior to that, I went to the Mercantile and bought a fresh chicken already cut-up (I had asked Ned, the storekeeper to have one ready for me) and some green beans.

The first thing I did was prepare the green beans by cleaning them and cutting them into bite-sized pieces. I turned on the stove to get it good and hot. I placed the beans into a pot of water and put them aside. The next thing I did was to clean and rinse the chicken, making sure that all of the feathers were gone. I made a mixture of salt, pepper, and paprika and rubbed it all over the chicken. In fact, I used a lot of paprika because I knew that Jack really liked chili so I figured he'd like extra seasoning on his chicken. I found a roasting pan and placed the chicken in it.

I found Abigail's biscuit recipe and I had watched her make them before. Boy, did I make a mess making the batter! As I whisked together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, some of the mixture went flying all over the table. Then I added the milk and shortening and began mixing it all together. My hands were greasy from the shortening and as I was rolling out the dough, my hands slipped, the bowl went flying, and I fell on the floor. The dough ended up on top of me. I was glad that I started early enough and I had time to make another batch. I was thankful the next batch turned out okay and I was able to cut the dough into pieces and place them on a baking sheet for baking.

At that point, it was about 5 p.m. so I placed the chicken into the oven. I had a little time to clean up some of the mess and I didn't want Jack to think that I didn't know what I was doing. I checked on the chicken and it seemed to be cooking nicely. I was amazed! I thought to myself, this is going nicely!

At about 5:45 p.m., I took the chicken out of the oven and put the biscuits in the oven. I then went upstairs to change my clothes so that I could look my best for grandpa.

I changed my clothes, freshened up my makeup, and heard a knock at the door. It was grandpa. I could hardly contain my excitement and I couldn't wait to show him what I had done for him. He came inside and said, "Hello, beautiful, I've been waiting all day to see you. I couldn't have waited any longer to hold you. Come here." Then, all of a sudden Jack looked at me and said, "You've been busy today, haven't you? You have something all through your hair." Then he said, "Elizabeth, are you burning candles, what's burning?"

We rushed to the kitchen only to find that the biscuits were burned. I started crying, and said, "I'm sorry, Jack, I wanted to make you a special dinner, and I've burned the biscuits."

Grandpa looked over and saw the chicken and it looked really good. He saw green beans in the pot also. He said, "Elizabeth, it's okay, we don't need biscuits, we've got chicken and green beans. Let's just eat those. The most important thing to me is to spend the evening with you."

I then realized that I never cooked the green beans so with a disappointed face I said, "Well, we have chicken anyway, I forgot to cook the green beans."

Grandpa pulled me close and whispered, "Thank you so much for going to all of this trouble for me. I love chicken, so how about we have some chicken together?"

The chicken looked fantastic and I put some on a plate for each of us and we sat down at a table in the café. I also poured some water and coffee for us. Grandpa said a blessing for the meal and also for the hands that prepared it. Grandpa took the first bite of the chicken and it took his breath away. He gasped and downed his glass of water. He looked at me with eyes bulging and then reached for my glass of water. What had I done?

We ran out to the kitchen and looked at the spice container that I used. We realized that I used cayenne pepper instead of paprika. Grandpa also noticed there was still quite a mess in the kitchen. At that point, he was feeling playful and he picked up a biscuit and said, "Do you want to play catch?" At first I wanted to cry, but once he looked at me, we both started laughing and couldn't stop until our sides hurt.

You see, Jacob, your grandma didn't start out as a good cook. It's like anything else, practice, practice, practice. Just like your baseball. It took me several years before I really got the knack of cooking.

At that point, Grandpa Jack walked in the kitchen for a glass of water. Jacob asked him, "Would you like to have some Chicken Paprikash with that?" They all looked at each other and laughed.

Jack said, "Grandma must be telling stories again. Have we told you about the time your mother was born?"

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3 Emily Abigail Thornton

**When a Heart Calls Your Name**

**Chapter 3**

**Emily Abigail Thornton**

Grandma Beth, Grandpa Jack, and Jacob retreated outside to the back porch to take advantage of the beautiful day and the porch swing that Jack had made for him and Elizabeth. They all loved spending time in the back yard, it was so serene, and it was so different from the busyness of Cape Fullerton for Jacob.

After sitting down, Grandpa Jack asked Jacob, "Do you know why this place, this home, is so special to your grandma & me? This location is the very spot where your grandma and I would sneak away from town to steal hugs and kisses when we were younger. This was the very location that I had proposed marriage to grandma. And this was the very location that our first child, your mom, Emily Abigail Thornton, was born. This place holds a special place in our hearts.

Elizabeth chimed in, "Yes, Jacob, we have so many happy memories here. I know this is hard to understand now, but one day, perhaps our words will come back to you. You may find yourself in the middle of doing something and all of a sudden you'll think, I remember when grandma told me about that or grandpa said that would happen. Life is funny that way.

"Jacob, there is nothing more special to a husband and wife than to bring a baby into the world. And even though women have been having babies for thousands of years, your grandpa had such a hard time when I was pregnant! He wanted to do everything for me and I didn't like that very much. You know that Thatcher stubbornness of mine - I didn't make it easy for your grandpa."

"Yes, Jacob, I was very protective of your grandma and I didn't want anything to happen to her or the baby. I wanted to do everything for her and that just wasn't possible, or necessary, as she would tell me. I wanted to be here for her every step of the way!

Jacob, Coal Valley didn't have a hospital so when your mother was scheduled to be born, your Great Grandpa Thatcher had planned to have the whole family meet in Cape Fullerton a couple of weeks before your mom was due to arrive. He wanted to be sure that I had the best care in the case of an emergency. In fact, in 1913 when your Mom was born, we had just gotten a brand new doctor in town. Before that, most babies here were born with the help of a midwife and friends."

Two days before we were ready to leave for Cape Fullerton, two of my students, Gabe and Rachel, came by and Gabe was looking for Jack who had promised to help him with a cow that was about to give birth. Gabe was actually a former student who had completed his schooling, and he was working with an older man to take over his farm. He had planned to marry Rachel the following year when she would be done with school, and he was determined to do whatever he could to be prepared to provide for them. They were such a special young couple to us: they both knew that 'Mountie Jack' (points to Jack) and 'Miss Thatcher' (points to herself) belonged together long before we did! And, boy, am I glad they came over that day.

You see, I was having some pretty bad stomach pains all day, but I didn't tell your grandpa because I didn't want to worry him or to have him doting over me. I wasn't due for two more weeks so I thought it was too early to be having labor pains. But Rachel had a baby brother a couple of years before that and she told me that her mother had experienced something similar. Since this was my first child, I really didn't know what to expect.

But on that day, October 3, 1913, when I was having those bad stomach pains, Grandpa Jack was out doing his rounds like he did every day. He planned on doing his rounds until we would leave for Cape Fullerton. Once we'd be in Cape Fullerton, grandpa had worked out a plan to work there until the baby would arrive. The plan was that your Great Grandma Thatcher would be with me during the day so that Grandpa Jack could still work and not be so concerned about me.

But on that day, October 3, 1913, two days before we were scheduled to leave for Cape Fullerton, it was a Friday, and the saloon was opened earlier than usual. While grandpa was out doing his rounds, he got hung up at the saloon because some guys got into a fight. Your grandpa got right in the middle of it and he got socked in the eye. After he calmed everyone down, he had to book a couple of guys in the jail for the evening. After that, he thought he'd head over to Gabe's to help him with the cow about to give birth."

As grandpa came out of the jail, Gabe ran up to him and said, "Mountie Jack, the baby is coming now."

Jack said, "Okay, Gabe, I'll be right there. I'm going to go get some ice and I'll be right there." Gabe didn't really understand why Jack needed ice for the baby but he didn't question him. Gabe then ran and got the new doctor and they hurried back to our house."

"So I ran into Abigail's café and got some ice for my eye because I didn't want to scare your grandma with my black eye when I got home. I ran back to the jail, changed out of my serge quickly, and took off for Gabe's place to help him with the cow. When I got there, I went to the barn and the cow wasn't there. I looked around and found her under a tree and she was moaning and clearly in discomfort. She was going to give birth soon so I prepared myself to assist Gabe. While I waited, I kept the ice on my eye waiting for the whole process to begin."

"While that was going on with grandpa, Jacob, I was really in pain. When Gabe had left to go get grandpa, Rachel helped me into bed, got a wet washcloth and began to wipe my forehead. By the time that Gabe and the doctor got here, I was in the middle of labor!" I am so grateful to Gabe & Rachel for being here that day!"

"In the meantime, I'm back at Gabe's and I was getting angry and wondering where Gabe was. So, I went over to the house and Cat Montgomery, Gabe's mom, happened to be there. I asked Cat, do you know where Gabe is? He came running to me at the jail saying 'the baby is coming now' and I told him I'd be right there. So, I came here to help him and he still hasn't shown up yet!"

Cat exclaimed, "Jack, Gabe went to your house earlier to get you. When he said 'the baby was coming now', do you think…"

"Jacob, I can't believe that I went to Gabe's to help with a calf while your grandma was here in labor with your mother! I jumped on my horse and I got here as fast as I could. But Jacob, my heart sank as I rode up to the house and I heard your grandma crying out, 'Jack…Jack…Jack…'"

"Your poor grandpa, Jacob. He felt so bad. He came running in the room and said, 'I'm here, Elizabeth, I'm so sorry I didn't get here right away. I thought…I…I…doctor, why do you have her hands strapped to the bed? At that point, the doctor told him it would be better for Jack to wait outside, that the baby would be coming soon. Elizabeth looked over at Jack and said, "Shall I tell Jacob what happens next or do you want to?"

"Jacob, there was no way that I was leaving that room! I told the doctor that I was staying, that as a Mountie, I was trained for many things, and there was no way I was leaving. So the doctor said 'fine' as long as I didn't interfere. So, I went to the head of the bed to comfort grandma by rubbing her shoulders and trying to keep her calm. Grandma was having some really bad labor pains and as she yanked on the straps, her right arm flung back and socked my good eye. I ended up with two black eyes that day! But that was nothing compared to what your grandma was going through. I fixed the broken strap and within 10 minutes or so, your grandma let out a big yell and our lives were changed forever. The doctor said, 'congratulations, Jack & Elizabeth, you have a daughter'. Although I couldn't see her very well that first day, I was sure the doctor handed to me the most beautiful little girl ever born. Our precious little Emily Abigail Thornton. What an incredible experience, Jacob!"

Jack had tears in his eyes reminiscing about that incredible day so grandma continued on.

"Grandpa and I had already picked out names. If we had a boy, his name would be Thomas William Thornton, after his grandfathers. If we had a girl, we would name her Emily Abigail Thornton. You see, grandpa had lost a baby sister named Emily and Abigail, our good friend was so important to both of us. Oh, Jacob, what a wonderful father Grandpa Jack would become. He was so proud to be her daddy - he loved her more than you can imagine. We are so fortunate to have Grandpa Jack in our lives…"

Jacob looked at his grandma and grandpa and he was amazed how emotional they still got as they talked about his mom being born. To lighten the mood, Jacob asked, "whatever happened to the calf that day?"

Jack smiled and replied, "I think that birth went a little smoother than grandma's, no black eyes. Chuckles. Let's go for a walk, Jacob. "Did I ever tell you about the time your grandmother went into the coal mine…"

To be continued


	4. Chapter 4 The Mine

**When a Heart Calls Your Name**

**Chapter 4 **

**The Mine**

After dinner, Grandpa Jack & Jacob went for a walk since it was such a beautiful evening.

Grandpa shared, "As I told you before Jacob, when I first met your grandma, I wasn't very nice to her. I told her that she had no business in a town like Coal Valley and that her father had sent me to take care of 'his princess'. Little did I know what a spitfire your grandma was and how determined she was to prove me wrong!

Jacob, life is so different in 1951 than it was in 1911. Back then, Coal Valley was a company town owned by the Pacific Northwest Mining Company and run by a man named Gowan. Back in the late 1800's and the early 1900's, company towns were common when a town had a primary employer such as a coal mine like here in Coal Valley, and when the town was isolated from neighbors. That began to change in the 1920's when cars became more prevalent and people could drive outside of the area to work. But back in 1910, Gowan was the only one in town that had a car.

Besides the coal mine, the Pacific Northwest Mining Company owned the mercantile, the saloon, most of the homes, and all of the local businesses, even the church. But when the church burned down in 1910 and your grandma came to teach, she was actually paid by the parents in town, not by the company. And that was a good thing because you'd probably not be here otherwise - your grandma never could have worked for Gowan!

You see, Gowan was all about the Company and making money for them. He and his private security guards, the Pinkertons, caused a lot of grief for the people in town! Three months after the mine explosion that killed 47 men, he had his Pinkertons post eviction notices on all of the homes where the widows lived. An eviction is when someone is required to leave their home, and if the widows didn't leave on their own, the Pinkertons would have seen to it to bring in and fulfill the law by making them leave. Gowan claimed that in order to keep the mine running, he needed to make room for new miners since the 47 men had recently died. And the widows were still struggling to come to grips with the loss of their husbands and taking care of their children without their husbands. What a snake Gowan was!

Abigail, the same woman that eventually opened the café that we spoke about before, lost both her husband and her son in the mine during the explosion. The thought of losing her home where her son Peter had grown up was more than she could bear. So, she conjured up support from the widows to go into the mine in order to keep their homes. Abigail was courageous and determined so, the widows reached an agreement with Gowan. Both sides agreed that the widows had two weeks to clear an area shaft and if they did, they could stay in their homes. Grandma Beth wanted to help in the mine right away but Abigail encouraged her to continue teaching the kids because the town needed her watching over them.

I really struggled with this, Jacob. I wanted to deck Gowan when he did this. What kind of person evicts widows and children just to make money? Jacob, never allow money to have a foothold in your life. Don't get caught up in it. I'm so glad that your grandma followed her heart and didn't get hung up on the lifestyle she had growing up. She and I have had such a good life and we've never had a lot of money. The most important thing in life is to figure out God's purpose for your life, and to give your whole heart to it. Great Grandpa Thatcher had that advice for your Grandma Beth before she left to come here as a teacher. And I'd like to pass along that same advice to you.

Now back to the coal dust. After that first week, the widows hadn't made much headway, so all of the women in town banded together to work in shifts. They only had a few days left to meet their goal and guess who decided to help out? Yes, Grandma Beth, who was so moved by her student Rachel (the same girl that helped out when your mom was born). You see, Rachel's father gave her a piece of coal before he had died, and he told her to think of it as a diamond, that it was a "pearl of great price." That piece of coal represented a treasure and that all treasure was worth digging for. The day your grandma went into the mine, Rachel had given her that piece of coal and told her that she was going to have to move and that she hoped grandma would love Coal Valley as much as she had. At that point, grandma marched immediately over to the jail and asked to borrow some work clothes from me! Well, I didn't have anything that fit her so she stomped to Abigail's and found some of Abigail's son Peter's clothes to wear into the mine. I tried to stop her telling her how dangerous it was, but that just made her more angry. She thought I didn't want her to go into the mine because she was a woman. I didn't want her to go into the mine because I started to have feelings for her and I wanted to protect her. Your grandma was something else, she was so stubborn! Here was this beautiful lady accustomed to high society, she couldn't cook or sew but she moved out west leaving all of the comforts of home and she was willing to go into a coal mine to help out these widows! How could I not fall in love with a woman like that?

After work each day, Grandma Beth looked like she fell into a pile of coal dust – she was covered in it! It was a remarkable thing what the women of Coal Valley did in 1910. With their hard work, they were able to save the homes of the widows! And your grandma was a part of that! That was really amazing, Jacob!"

Jack & Jacob finished their walk and entered the house. Grandma Beth was having a cup of tea in the kitchen. Jacob asked, "Grandma, what was it like to work in that coal mine?"

"Well, Jacob. Although that happened a long time ago, I recall it vividly. It was not a pretty place. The working conditions were terrible. Each day, I descended into a dark and dingy place, so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. And it was filled with seeping water and rats. And the Lord knows how much I hate vermin! And the mine creaked constantly. You'd dig in the coal, move rocks in the coal, and all the time you're fearing methane gas. And with coal dust flying around all the time, that was not a good combination. We always feared that the mine could explode at any time.

Jacob, I only worked in there for three days, but it seemed like a month. You know your grandfather hated that I chose to go into that mine! He was there every morning when I went in and every afternoon as I came out. But I was so stubborn at the time that I wouldn't have told him how afraid I was. Jacob, these men and women that go into the coal mines every day are true heros to their families! It's not a nice job, but they do it to take care of their families. It's noble work."

"Grandpa, did you ever go into the mines?"

"Yes, Jacob, but not to work as a coal miner. I had to go into the mine to investigate the big explosion of 1910 and also for other problems and mishaps that occurred over the years. But I was only in there for a couple of hours at a time. While a Mountie life has its challenges, too, I don't know if I could have worked in that mine every day all day. I guess you do what you have to take care of your family. Being a coal miner is a tough life.

But I did have to deal with the miners after work. They would go to the saloon and unwind and sometimes they would cause a lot of trouble. Not too long after the widows were able to keep their homes, the Company brought in a bunch of single men to work the mine, and they lived above the saloon. That's when a lot of trouble began. One of those single men was quite taken with your grandma. Why don't you ask your grandma about Billy Hamilton?"

"Jack, Jacob doesn't want to hear about that skunk! Besides, it's getting late and if I start talking about him now, I may have nightmares!"

"Grandma, would you tell me about Billy Hamilton tomorrow? I want to hear about him. I can tell by the way you looked at grandpa when you said 'that skunk'!"

"Okay, Jacob, but I'll need to have my coffee first…."

continued


	5. Chapter 5 Billy, Rosie, and a Wonderful

Chapter 5

Billy, Rosie, and a Wonderful Life

It was about 6 a.m. and Jack & Elizabeth were waking up. Elizabeth said, "Jack, if you're awake, can we talk? Do we really need to tell Jacob about Billy Hamilton? Can't we keep some things to ourselves?"

"Elizabeth, it's been over forty years, does it still bother you to think or talk about him? After all, you did figure him out before it was too late, & I figured it all out eventually. (Jack smiles) Besides, that's an important life lesson and I think it's good to share our stories with our family. Jacob is old enough to understand."

"Okay, Jack, I suppose. Billy did make me realize how special you were, even though it took _you_ awhile to figure that out about me! Jack, how the time has flown by so fast. What a wonderful life it has been. Does it seem that that we've been married for forty years?"

"No, Elizabeth, not to me. It seems like yesterday that you were my beautiful bride. How thankful I am that Billy Hamilton was a skunk! If he hadn't been, who knows what would have happened!"

"Jack Thornton, don't you dare say that! I could have never stayed with him! Do _you_ ever imagine what it would have been like to have married Rosemary?"

"No, Elizabeth! That's not something I'd even want to imagine!

Elizabeth, 40 years with you has been like a day to me. Time has gone by so quickly. I love you more now than I ever thought I could. You will always be the most beautiful woman in the world to me, and I still get excited to see you walk into a room. And the way you kiss me… (sigh). When we began courting, did you have any idea how I felt about you, especially after our date at Abigail's? You were on my mind and in my heart all of the time. As soon as I left Coal Valley to go to Cape Fullerton, I knew it was a mistake – I didn't know what to do with myself – I was so conflicted. When I heard that the Tollivar gang could be in Coal Valley, all I could think about was you and how I wanted to protect you. As I rode back, all I could think about was figuring out a way to stay in Coal Valley to be with you. I had already loved you so much, and I couldn't bear to be away from you. That day when I came into town and first saw you standing there, I wanted to jump off of my horse, run to you, and propose right then and there. But I couldn't take my eyes off of you, I sat there on my horse, paralyzed. I simply wanted to breathe you in. When Rosemary turned around, my heart sank and I felt like someone just punched me in the stomach. She sure threw me for a loop that day! I was so happy when she finally realized that you were the one for me and when she left town.

Mrs. Thornton, may I remind you how beautiful you were on our wedding day? You were breathtaking, Elizabeth. I could hardly wait for our honeymoon! (Jack winks) Although I was nervous for that day, I could not wait to fully express my love to you. I could not have dreamed a life more amazing than we have shared together."

With tears in her eyes, Elizabeth said, "I love you, Jack, I agree. And may I say to you how handsome you were that day and how handsome you still are! The Lord has truly blessed us. Our life together is more than I dared to dream. And having Emily, and then the twins, William and Thomas. What a journey we have had together! If you don't mind, could we just lie here a little while longer before we go make coffee? I love when you hold me in your arms, Jack."

"Yes, let's do that. We can stay here all day if you like." Jack winks at her.

Jacob finally got up about 8 a.m. to the smell of breakfast cooking. Grandma Beth decided she would make sausage and pancakes and that she and Jack would tell Jacob all about Billy…and Rosie.

"Breakfast smells great, Grandma. So while I'm eating, will you tell me about Billy Hamilton?"

"Of course, Jacob, and your grandpa will tell you about Rosemary. It's important that we share our life stories with you, even when they're not so fun to remember. But you're old enough to understand…

A few months after I met your grandpa, we eventually became friends. At one point, there was a dance in town and I was hoping that your grandpa would invite me to go with him. One day we were talking about the dance and I asked your grandpa if he was going and he said that he was, but in an official capacity. I asked him if he wasn't allowed to have any fun, and what was he going to do when he got married? He replied that Mounties and marriage were two subjects that didn't go together. I'm sure that if you could have seen the look on my face…I was so disappointed at his response. I thought we had begun to have feelings for each other at that time and I was hoping he would have asked me to the dance.

During that same time period, a group of single miners came to town and one of them in particular, Billy Hamilton, took an interest in me. In fact, Billy was a sweet talker and he loved to recite poetry to me. I hate to admit it but I loved when he did that! Well, Billy invited me to the dance and I accepted. Whether it was his Mountie training or pure jealously, grandpa was suspicious about Billy from the beginning. I figured that grandpa was just jealous because he kept telling me to be cautious of Billy. You could see it on his face. If you could have seen your grandpa's face at the dance when he saw me dancing with Billy…"

"Jacob, your grandma was right, I was jealous. But I wasn't ready to admit it at that time. I was really angry with myself and felt that I had blown it with your grandma. I really was suspicious of Billy but I made things worse by continually pointing things out to your grandma and by sticking my foot into my mouth. I was pretty good at that. Eventually, Billy showed his true colors and he slipped up when talking with grandma about her two sisters. Grandma knew she had never told him about them. Grandma was embarrassed when she found out that Billy was only after her family's money. The best part of this story, Jacob, was when grandma realized Billy's motives, she came to me. She knew she could trust me and that turned the corner for the two of us."

"Yes, Jacob, Billy didn't care about me, he was only after my family's money. But, the way I see it, if it wasn't for Billy showing up and making your grandpa jealous, who knows how long it would have taken for grandpa to come to admit his feelings for me? In life, Jacob, some people don't always have your best interests at heart. And others may be slow at recognizing what's in front of them. It's always important to use your wisdom along with your heart to be sure you're not jumping into a relationship just because you're lonely or because things haven't gone the way you wanted. That can lead you into trouble. It's important to pray about your relationships and to trust God to lead you to the right person, especially when you intend to spend the rest of your life with them. You must be able to trust that person with your life."

"Yes, Jacob, please don't enter into a relationship just because it's easy or because it feels right. There's so much more to it than that. Let me tell you about Rosie. Our fathers had been Mounties together and we spent a lot of time together while growing up. She was really good at sports and shooting and she wasn't afraid of anything. That was very exciting to me because I was pretty quiet and not very outgoing. I guess I assumed that Rosie and I would get married because we were together all of the time and I did enjoy spending time with her. In fact, Rosie and I eventually got engaged.

But our engagement didn't last long. Right before I was ready to leave for my Mountie cadet training program, Rosie came to me and broke off our engagement, saying that she didn't want to be married to a Mountie, that she wanted to be an actress, and that she was moving to New York. At the time, Jacob, I was really hurt over this. I began to wonder about our relationship and whether it was real, or whether she was just a good actress. I certainly didn't trust her at that point – she wounded me. But you know, the Lord had better things in store for me, Jacob. (Jack looks at Elizabeth) Things have a way of working out. I couldn't have imagined my life any other way than it is now."

"You see, Jacob, there will likely be a Rosemary or a Billy that comes into your life. Life is a mystery and it's full of surprises! But when you find your special someone, and I know that you will, your life will be forever changed. You will figure out that she is the one for you. (Elizabeth sighs and looks at Jack.) And pretty soon you will be telling your grandchildren your own stories and sharing how wonderful life truly is."

"Well, enough stories for now, Jacob. We'll continue tomorrow once everyone gets here for our anniversary celebration. I can't wait to share my surprise with your grandma (Jack smiles at Elizabeth) and we'll have plenty more stories to share with all of you."

Elizabeth finished serving breakfast as they discussed the anniversary party. She couldn't wait to share the story of their wedding day with the family again.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6 Our Wedding Story

Chapter 6

Our Wedding Story

_This is the continuation of Jack & Elizabeth Thornton sharing their life stories 40 years after their wedding day. This is based upon the Hallmark Channel show When Calls the Heart and Crown Media owns all rights to the show and characters._

On Saturday morning, the day of the anniversary party, Jacob ran to the door to greet his mom, Emily, his father Matthew, and his sister Rebekah. Jack & Elizabeth were in the kitchen having breakfast and when they heard voices, they went to greet them in the living room. Jack and Elizabeth were so excited to be able to see their whole family together again. Their son William would be getting picked up at the train station in a little while; he was still in college but he had an internship at a law firm in Toronto during the summer. Their son Thomas would get there at some point, but because he took after his father and became a Mountie, they were less certain about his arrival.

Jack and Elizabeth had wanted to have the anniversary party in their home because they just loved it there. Other friends also attending the party on Saturday evening included Billy and Abigail Avery and their daughter Mary, who offered to cater the event. Gabe and Rachel Montgomery, and James and Cassandra Fremont and their families would also be attending.

In late morning, Jack and Matthew drove to the train station to pick up William. To their surprise, both William and Thomas were waiting there for them. Thomas shouted, "Surprise, dad!" to Jack. Both William and Thomas hugged their dad warmly and they headed back to the house.

Elizabeth was busy making finger sandwiches for lunch while Emily and Rebekah were cutting up fruit for a salad to serve alongside them. Jacob was on the back porch and he heard a car horn blowing several times so he came running through the kitchen to the front of the house. Jacob exclaimed, "Mom, Grandma, Uncle William and Uncle Thomas are here!" They all hurried out the front door to greet them in the front yard. With tears of joy in her eyes, Elizabeth was so happy to see her whole family together again. They all hugged each other – what a wonderful moment. Elizabeth walked up to Jack and looked at him intently. Recognizing that Jack had tears in his eyes, too, she didn't need to say anything. They smiled at each other and walked arm in arm as they entered their house.

The party itself would not begin until 6 p.m. After the family ate lunch, everyone moved into the living room and they all shared what was currently going on in their lives. William spoke about what it was like to work in a law firm, Jacob spoke mostly about baseball, and Matthew spoke about running the Canadian Heritage Book factory in Camp Fullerton. Thomas was excited as he spoke about his new post in Winnipeg, but when he spoke about a clerk named Cindy at the local bookstore, he changed his tune. At first everyone thought he was annoyed by her, but the more he spoke, the more everyone realized what was going on with Thomas – that he was hopelessly in love and he couldn't see it! Jack said, "Thomas, let's you and I have a private conversation a little later, I think I can you help you understand a few things." During the family discussion, Emily and Rebekah put up some anniversary decorations, including the portrait of Jack and Elizabeth on their wedding day, a drawing that Jack made for Elizabeth for their first wedding anniversary.

Bill, Abigail, Mary, and her husband Joe showed up about 5 p.m. to set up the food for the party. Elizabeth and Jack have been close friends with Bill and Abigail for years. Bill was actually quite frail at this stage of his life but he insisted on coming to the party to celebrate with his good friends. In the meantime, the family members got ready for the party. As Elizabeth walked into the living room in her beautiful blue dress, Jack stood up and reached out his hands to her and said, "Elizabeth, you are more beautiful today than when you honored me forty years ago and became my wife."

Elizabeth was filled with emotion as she looked at Jack and around the room at the wonderful life they created together. She took a deep breath and said, "Jack, you are the most handsome and honorable man I have ever known, and I am thankful the Lord gave you to me. She then looked at her family and friends and said, "We love you all so much and we're so blessed that you could all come to celebrate with Jack and me. We are thankful for each and every one of you." With not a dry eye in the house, to lighten the mood, Jacob piped up, "Did you all know about Billy and Rosie?"

At that point, everyone laughed and Emily said to Jacob, "Have you spent your whole week asking grandma and grandpa to share their stories again?" Jack and Elizabeth looked at Jacob and just smiled.

Jack encouraged everyone to get some Hors d'oeuvres and something to drink and to enjoy the party. By that time, all of the guests had arrived and Mary had prepared a lovely dinner of beef stroganoff, Caesar salad, mixed vegetables, and a lovely cake for dessert.

After dinner, Jacob didn't waste any time and asked, "Grandma and Grandpa, would you tell us what it was like on your wedding day, forty years ago?"

Jack smiled at Elizabeth and said, "It's hard for us to believe that our wedding day was forty years ago. But I remember that day vividly because it changed my life forever. I'm sure glad that Bill was there to help me that day because initially, I was so nervous, I could barely contain myself."

Bill chimed in, "I can vouch for that. I kept telling him, Jack, settle down and be patient. Trust the Lord and let things happen naturally."

Jack said, "That was good advice. Bill really helped to calm my fears that day."

Elizabeth said, "It was very important to me to get married at the new church and school that was built with the money that Jack had donated when he had captured the notorious Tolliver gang. That church and school were so meaningful to both of us. And it was so beautiful that day, both outside and in. Grandma and Grandpa Thatcher had beautiful decorations and fresh flowers, beautiful violets and white ribbons to decorate the church. My sister Julie had such a flair for decorating and she, along with my students, made the church absolutely beautiful. Julie also helped me to pick out my wedding dress. As you see in the picture over there, my dress was white with lace and it was simple but elegant."

Abigail chimed in, "Elizabeth, your dress was beautiful and you looked so radiant. And unlike Jack, you were really calm that day."

Elizabeth said, "For me, it was more challenging to deal with the wedding preparations and arrangements than the wedding day itself. By the time our wedding day was here, I was so ready to be Mrs. Jack Thornton. When I stood at the back of the church waiting to walk down the aisle, I looked at Jack standing there so handsome and I thought to myself how blessed I was to be surrounded by my family and to be marrying the man of my dreams. When I looked at Jack, I knew that I was home. Jack Thornton, you are more than I ever imagined."

Jack gave Elizabeth a sweet kiss on the cheek, and said, "Oh Elizabeth, what a beautiful bride you were that day. As you walked down the aisle, I couldn't take my eyes off of you. You were breathtaking; your blue eyes sparkled like the clear blue sky that day. As I watched you walking up to me, I suddenly became calm and I realized that with God at the center of our marriage, everything would be alright. At that point, I was able to enjoy the rest of our wedding day…(winks at Elizabeth)…especially the honeymoon!"

"Jack!" exclaimed Elizabeth as she looked at him with a playful smile.

Gabe chimed in, "Everyone, raise your glasses, I'd like to propose a toast to Jack and Elizabeth. (Gabe looks at them) You both have been an inspiration to Rachel and me. The love that you have shown and the sacrifices that you have made for each other, for your family, and for your friends, has been remarkable. We love you and wish you many more years together."

As the party was coming to a close, Jack realized that he hadn't given Elizabeth his gift to her, the portrait of the day when they first met in the saloon where they shook hands by the chalkboard. Elizabeth opened her gift and was so happy that Jack had taken up painting again. She looked at the picture and said, "This is where it all began, Jack. This means a lot to me." Elizabeth gave Jack a big hug and told him, "Jack, I have a gift for you, too, but I'll give it to you later…"

As the guests were leaving, Jacob said, "Grandpa Jack, did you ever shoot anybody?"

Jack replied, "enough stories for today, Jacob. But perhaps after church tomorrow…"

to be continued…


	7. Chapter 7 Shooting Yourself In The Foot

Chapter 7

Shooting Yourself in the Foot

On Sunday after church, the whole family went out for lunch before they all needed to leave for home. Jack & Elizabeth enjoyed having their family together over the weekend for their 40th wedding anniversary. Jack and Elizabeth enjoyed spending extra time with Jacob, Emily's son, the week prior and it allowed them to share stories of their past. Jacob always loved reading and listening to their stories. [An Interesting note: Eventually, Jacob would become a book distributor, get married and have a daughter named Janette, who would marry and become Janette Oke, a famous author. It likely all started with Jacob's excitement for Jack and Elizabeth's life stories and he passed that love along to Janette who actually used some of Jack and Elizabeth's stories in her books.]

Before they all left, Jacob asked Grandpa Jack, "One more story, Grandpa? Did you ever shoot anyone?"

Jack smiled and said, "Okay, Jacob, one more story. Did I ever shoot anyone? Well, that's an interesting question to ask a Mountie. I don't think you ever asked me that question before.

Jacob, being a Mountie required me to be prepared to use my firearm at any time. I always had a loaded revolver on me at all times (while I slept it was close by) and I always kept my rifle with me when I was on my horse or in my patrol car. I spent a great deal of time at target practice because the expectation was that you may only have one chance to shoot your intended target; you never knew what type of arsenal the other party had.

Before I talk about my shooting someone, perhaps we could persuade Grandma to help me tell the story about the Tolliver Gang in 1910. Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth looked at Jack and said, "If we must, Jack. I'd prefer not to relive that day but, yes, I will help tell the story. Let me first say that just prior to the Tolliver Gang coming to town, your grandpa and I went out on our first real date, a wonderful night of dinner and dancing. In fact, that is when we starting courting. We were so in love already but grandpa had just gotten notice that he was going to be transferred to Cape Fullerton, the post that he'd always dreamed about. He told me that he wanted to stay in Coal Valley for me, but I convinced him that he needed to take his new post. I loved him so much and I didn't want him to resent me for holding him back from the post that he wanted."

"Yes, right after I asked grandma for that first _real date_, Constable Patrick O'Reilly escorted Aunt Julie to town for a visit. As I was speaking to Patrick later that evening, he handed me transfer papers to Cape Fullerton. I wanted to tell grandma right away but I had waited so long to start courting her and I didn't want anything to spoil our date. We had such a good time on our date - I didn't know how to tell her. We both had fallen hard for each other at that point, and I didn't know what to do. Your grandma convinced me to go to my dream post but as I've stated before, I knew that was a mistake right after I left. I couldn't stop thinking about her."

"In the meantime, Aunt Julie had been exploring the countryside and found a man named "Nathaniel who had been shot in the woods. Being the free spirit that she was, Julie was determined to take care of him and over the course of a few days, she thought she was in love with him. Julie nursed him back to health and he left town promising to come back for her. Right after he left town, Julie shared some information about Nathanial's background, that he had done some bad things in the past, but that he was trying to turn his life around. I told Julie that not all men have honorable intentions. Being concerned, I marched Julie over to the jail to tell Constable O'Reilly. Unfortunately, he wasn't there and was out doing rounds, so we left a note for him."

"In the meantime, on my way to Cape Fullerton, I came across several groups of Mounties all looking for the infamous Tolliver Gang who had been described as ruthless bank robbers. During a conversation with a group of Mounties, one of them said to me that Nate Tolliver had been shot and his horse was found in a little mining town called Coal Valley. Jacob, I bolted on my horse so fast, I had to get back to make sure your grandma was okay. It took me 10 hours to get back but when I got to Abigail's to check on grandma, Abigail had been tied up and she told me that grandma and Julie had been kidnapped at gunpoint!

Jacob, I can't begin to tell you how frightened I was at that point. You remember, I still hadn't told grandma how I felt about her. I was so afraid of losing her, that the Tolliver gang would harm her. All I could think about was protecting and letting her know her I felt about her. But I was never one for words and when I left for Cape Fullerton initially, all that expressed was that I would write to her. And I tried to write that first day but I couldn't find the words that were in my heart. Upon learning that she was kidnapped, I was beside myself. I was desperate to find her and at least let her that I cared about her. No academy training could prepare you for a situation like the Tolliver gang, but God helped me. I prayed for wisdom and courage and Patrick and I devised a rescue plan for grandma and Julie.

You know, Jacob, your grandma is very brave. We sort of rescued each other that day. You see, there were only two of us Mounties, Patrick and me, and we didn't know what to expect if and when we found them all. I prayed that grandma and Aunt Julie would be okay. You see, the Tolliver Gang were holed up in a little shack and they had grandma and Aunt Julie tied up. Since there were only two of us and we didn't know what to expect, we devised a plan to make it appear as though there were more Mounties. Fortunately, it was late at night and pitch black outside, so when we arrived at the shack, I said, 'Nate Tolliver, you and your men come outside with your hands up!'"

Elizabeth chimed in, "And I shouted, 'Jack, there's four of them and they're all armed!' At that point, Nate Tolliver and his gang put guns to our heads, led us outside the front door, and said to grandpa, 'I got your woman, Mountie, so I don't think I'll be taking orders from you."

"And I said, 'there's a dozen Mounties in these woods and they got their rifles aimed at all of you right now.' I dropped my weapon and told Tolliver that they should do the same. At that point, as they all stood on in front of the porch, Patrick shot one of the gang and I ran up to Nate Tolliver and pushed him to the ground away from grandma. With my gun pointed at him, he told his gang to drop their weapons. After I cuffed Tolliver and was walking away, Nate reached down to pull a knife out of his boot, and grandma shouted, 'Jack, he has a knife!' I turned around and slugged him to the ground."

"I ran over to grandpa and asked him if he was hurt and he said no. We hugged each other for a long time, both of us so relieved the other was okay. What a drastic turn of events that day from being kidnapped and so afraid, to being in grandpa's arms. I went from the worst state of fear to feeling safer than I had my whole life. Sometimes life really throws us curveballs, Jacob, doesn't it?"

"Jacob, I didn't shoot anyone that night, but I had to be prepared for anything. Being a lawman is far more than using a gun. It requires you to be prepared for anything; using your gun should always be a last resort."

Jacob piped up, "But did you _ever_ shoot anyone, grandpa?"

Jack looked down and said, "I'm afraid so, Jacob. Over a thirty year career, a Mountie is likely to shoot at least one person. When I first became a Mountie, I was so eager to chase pirates and whiskey runners in Cape Fullerton. How naïve I was. Little did I know, Jacob, that people looking to do bad things live everywhere, not just in the big cities. Some people like to hole themselves up in the backwoods to stay out of sight. Well, that happened in Coal Valley several times over the years.

Back when your mom was little and your uncles had just been born, there was a new family that moved to town. They kept to themselves pretty much, didn't come to town except to purchase supplies. They didn't frequent the other town businesses and they didn't attend church. I was suspicious of them from their arrival. Periodically, when I'd do my rounds, I'd go out to their house and there was always several people outside as thought they were standing watch.

One morning, I had taken your grandma to town with your mom who was three at the time, and your uncles, who were six months old. I dropped her off at Abigail's for some breakfast. Abigail always loved seeing the kids and Mary Avery and your mom Emily were close in age so they loved to play together. Well, your mom and Mary started running in the restaurant and ran out the front door. Naturally, grandma went after them. About that same time, I was sitting in the jail and I heard a gunshot coming from the Mercantile. As I came out of the jail, I saw grandma running down the street after your mom and Mary, heading straight to the Mercantile. I screamed at them to go back to Abigail's immediately and to lock the doors. I made sure they were safe and headed to the Mercantile.

As I approached the Mercantile, I decided it best to enter through the back. I could hear things being thrown around in the store, so it appeared that someone was robbing the store. I looked around the corner and I saw two guys with guns. Hickam was lying in blood behind the counter - he had been shot in the arm. I looked around the corner and shouted, 'put your guns down and your hands up!' One of the guys shot at me and missed, and I shot both of them. I hit one in the shoulder and one in the chest. Once they were both down, Hickam shouted that he was bleeding but that he'd be okay. I asked him to get the doctor while I stayed with the robbers. Miraculously, both men survived the shootings. The doctor treated them and they were transported to Cape Fullerton where they stood trial. We had found out they were whiskey runners and they had charges against them in several territories. Eventually, they were hung for their criminal acts."

Elizabeth said to Jack, "Always my hero! Well, except for the time you shot yourself in the foot. Can you share about that, Jack?"

Jack looked at Elizabeth with a puzzled look and Elizabeth started laughing. Elizabeth said, "Actually, Jack shot himself in the foot numerous times, only there were no bullets involved! Let's see, there was the time when we met and you told me that I was a princess and that you were sent to babysit me in case I got a stubbed toe! Oh, and how about the time you came and told me that you didn't want me to go trekking out into the woods with Billy Hamilton and that you weren't jealous! And one more, how about the time you told me that I wasn't a fool exactly, but that a woman my age was an easy target, implying that I was desperate!"

Jack sighed and said, "I guess that's all true, everyone. I didn't have a way with words. I did shoot myself in the foot numerous times. But your grandma couldn't resist my charm nor my kisses, right Elizabeth, and I eventually won her over!"

Everyone laughed and Elizabeth pinched Jack and gave him a smile. As everyone left, Jack and Elizabeth thought about how quiet it would be over the next couple of weeks until Emily and Rachel would come for a visit.

That evening after Jack & Elizabeth said their nightly prayers together, Elizabeth said to Jack, "Now, tell me again how I couldn't resist your charm nor your kisses…"

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8 Prince Charming

Chapter 8

Prince Charming

On Monday morning after their 40th anniversary party, it was so quiet in the house and Jack and Elizabeth slept in later than usual. They looked forward to some time alone together because it had been rather chaotic with having their family all together over the weekend. What a blessing it was to have everyone together to celebrate the wonderful life that Jack and Elizabeth made together. Their love story is one for the ages. It's heartwarming to see how much they still love each other in their 60's.

As they sat having their morning coffee, they reminisced about their special weekend. "Would you like to go for a walk, Mr. Thornton? I could really use some exercise."

"I would love to, Mrs. Thornton. Do you have any place in mind?"

"Not really, Prince Charming, as long as I'm with you, I'll go anywhere."

Jack chuckled at her comment remembering that he had told her the night before that she couldn't resist his charm nor his kisses. He suggested they go for a walk around the lake since the City of Coal Valley had recently put a nice sidewalk around the perimeter. It was a beautiful place to walk and it was nearby.

As they began their stroll, they observed a young couple on a boat in the middle of the lake. Jack looked at Elizabeth and said, "I wonder if that young man remembered to bring a few spiders with him?"

Elizabeth smiled and asked, "_Jack_, did _you_ bring a spider on the boat with you that day?"

Chucking, Jack said, "I plead the fifth, Elizabeth! No, just lucky for me that creepy crawler ended up on our boat. Speaking of resisting my charm, you were sure able to resist my charm _that_ day."

"Is that what you thought, Jack? How long did it really take to remove that spider anyway? Did you think about just flicking it off of my shoulder? Did you not read between the lines, Jack? Did you think a spider was a good enough reason for me to jump into your arms? (Elizabeth laughs.) Okay, if I'm being honest, you were right last night – I do have a hard time resisting your charm and kisses, and it was no different that day, you were charming."

They continued walking and Jack said, "Elizabeth, after we had Emily, and you chose to stay home instead of continuing to teach, did you ever resent that?"

"Jack, you know much I adored teaching the Coal Valley children. Of course, I missed them terribly. But I never resented staying home to take care of our children. Ecclesiastes states to everything there is a season. I'm thankful that I was able to teach for several years before Emily came along. I quickly learned as a mother, that I was always a teacher. And Jack, you have been such a wonderful father. I especially love how tender you were with our babies when they were small. Many men don't handle that age period very well. They prefer not getting too involved until they can play with them."

"Elizabeth, you know how much I loved holding them as babies. As soon as I started rocking them in the chair, we would fall asleep. (Jack smiles) How else would I get a nap? And I would daydream about them as children, what they would be like when they grew up, who they would look like, the things we would do together. I had such a sense of satisfaction knowing that you and I created these amazing little people that I loved so much. And as they grew, life just got better. I have loved every stage of our lives together.

Did you know that before Thomas and William were born, I wondered how I could possibly love another child as much as I loved Emily? If I had known beforehand that you were having twins, I would have been even more concerned. But once our little guys were born, I realized that the Lord multiplies our love, he doesn't divide it."

"I agree Jack. He does multiply it. Love is so amazing; it's such a mystery. Jack, I have a secret that I don't think I've ever told you. Do you remember when you came over to Abigail's after Carla had her twins? Do you remember when you and I were holding the twins and I was telling you that Julie had found out that Billy Hamilton had gotten fired for stealing? As we were holding those babies, we looked at each other and you said, 'I could get used to this', to which I replied, 'Really?'"

"Yes, I remember. I said, 'maybe someday'."

"When I saw you holding the baby that day, I pictured what a wonderful father you'd be and right then and there, I daydreamed that one day you and I would be holding our own twin boys."

"So, I've made your dream come true, haven't I? It's good that you couldn't resist my charm nor my kisses or that dream wouldn't have come true!"

Elizabeth smiled at Jack. "Jack, you've made all of my dreams come true. In fact, you have given me dreams far better that I couldn't have imagined on my own. When we were first married, could you have imagined that our future could be this amazing? Especially since Mounties and marriage are two words that don't go together..."

Jack cleared his throat. "Did I say that? Elizabeth, when we were first married, all I could think about was being with you, loving you, and wanting to spend every moment with you. It was difficult during those first couple of years when I had to be gone for weeks at a time. I struggled being away from you. I felt that a part of me was missing when you weren't with me. At that point in our marriage, I really didn't think about the future much – then it was about the here and now. But once we started our family, my perspective changed. I had to be responsible for our family and I wasn't just focused on our relationship. Although, I still _enjoy our relationship_, if you know what I mean."

"Jack. You never change! And by the way, I still _enjoy our relationship_, too!"

"As soon as they got inside their home after their walk, Jack pulled Elizabeth into his arms, kissed her, and said, "Elizabeth, you know that I love you more than I can put into words. Each day that I get to spend with you feels like a new day that I get to fall in love all over again. God knew exactly who I needed in this life when He put us together."

"How am I supposed to resist _that_, Prince Charming? You may _think_ you're not good with words but you speak to my heart, Jack. You don't need words. Your smile, your embrace, your kiss says it all. You have been the greatest gift to me – a gift that I get to open every day. Yes, God knew exactly what He was doing when He put us together."

"Well, I'm an open book to you, Elizabeth, so feel free to turn to any page that you like! You know I like it when you turn my pages!"

"Oh, Jack, you're so funny. Your pages may not be filled with many words but what a beautiful picture book that you've created for me and our family. And while we've often discussed how you've struggled with words, I wasn't any better. While I may have known the right words to say, I didn't say them. Back when we were courting, it would not have been proper for a lady to be so bold.

Let's turn the pages of your book, Jack, and let me tell you what I should have said. On our date at Abigail's, I would have been more specific in telling you how handsome you looked and how much I enjoyed spending time with you. I wouldn't have interrupted you when you were trying to talk to me. I wouldn't have been able to resist your charm and your kisses! Yes, you heard me right. But you never kissed me that night and I really wanted you, too!"

"Now you tell me. (Jack smiles) Do you know how hard it was not to kiss you that night? You were so beautiful and you smelled so good as I held you when we were dancing. We were so close that I almost did several times, but I fought myself off. I guess I was being selfish because I knew that if I had kissed you, it would be all over. (Jack chuckles) Who am I kidding, it was all over anyway, I was so in love with you already. Darn it, I should have kissed you that night! Why did I wait?"

"Jack when you rescued me from the Tolliver gang, when I ran to you I wanted to say, "I love you, Jack. Just hold me and don't ever let me go. Please don't leave me again. That's not quite the same thing as 'Jack, are you hurt?'

"I know what you mean, Elizabeth. I wanted to say 'I love you' when you ran to me, but I didn't either. I also wanted to say 'I love you' the following day and all I could muster was 'I care. I care that you're safe.'"

"Well, at least you didn't say, 'I'm good.' What was that? I should have said, 'I love you, Jack. Be careful and hurry back - I need you.' You see, we both could have expressed ourselves a little better. It wasn't just you that was at a loss for words.

"But look at us now, Jack. If may have taken forty years, but we did it! And one more thing since we're sharing from your picture book. That day when you came to town and Rosemary ran up to you and gave you a hug…I wanted to tell her to get her hands off of you, that you belonged to me! I was in such a state of shock. I should have just peeled her hands right off of you, Jack!"

"I do love you, Elizabeth Thatcher, uhmmm, I mean Elizabeth Thornton!"

"I love you, too, Prince Charming!"

"By the way, Jack, we got a letter of apology from Julie in the mail today. She was so sorry that she couldn't make it to our anniversary party. But you know how she's always on an adventure. Did I tell you what she did?"

"I can only imagine. How about we have some dinner and afterwards we'll talk about it…"

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9 Julie

Chapter 9

Julie

"How's your chicken and dumplings, Jack?"

"Wonderful as usual, Elizabeth. You take such good care of me."

"I like to think that we take care of each other."

Smiling, Jack says, "So when are you going to tell me the latest about Julie?"

"Well, she got hurt on her way here. You know she's still so involved with the Girl Guides of Canada. If you can believe it, she still likes to go camping with the local troops. She planned on coming to our party but you know, Julie, she figured that she could go on a camping trip on her way here, and on the trip she fell and broke her leg getting off of a horse! She's in the hospital for the next week or so. But she and daughter Catherine plan to come for a visit once she's healed."

"Is she okay, though?"

"Yes, I guess she'll be fine. She broke it in two places and she's in a large cast. But Catherine is with her."

"Do you want to go visit her in the hospital?"

"No, Jack, I don't think so. By the time we'd make the arrangements, she and Catherine will probably be here. I do look forward to spending some time with them. Sometimes I still can't believe that Julie has spent most of her life with the type of adventure that involved camping outdoors!"

"But she came to Coal Valley by herself…well, with a Mountie escort."

"Yes, and I was shocked even at that, Jack! I never thought she'd go anywhere without her inside plumbing and her hairdresser. But she proved me wrong! I always thought that she would move to the center of the fashion industry, to Europe or enjoy traveling to exotic places. But Julie decided that if I could make it here in Coal Valley, then she could teach other girls how to survive in the wilderness herself!"

Jack chimed in, "I guess taking care of Nate Tolliver at that shack in the woods inspired her…"

"Actually, I think it did, Jack. And the fact that _I_ could survive without indoor plumbing and a hairdresser! I'm sure Julie wouldn't let me outdo her! I think the Tolliver situation really shocked her…how easily she was fooled. She was determined to help prepare young ladies in the ways of the world. Julie was always a go-getter and once she sets her mind to something…Can you believe she actually helped to found the first Canadian Girl Guides Company in Toronto almost forty years ago? And that in 1920, she became the _Chief Commissioner of the Dominion of Canada Girl Guides_. And she keeps going at her age… still participating in the Trefoil Guild, organizing group meetings, fundraising, and enlisting citizens to join in the _Guiding_ experience. And she spends time on marketing the Girl Guide Cookies..."

Jack chimed in, "I remember when Girl Guide Cookies were only 10 cents a bag. Now they cost a dollar. I sure like those chocolate mint cookies."

Elizabeth chucked, "You mean the delectable Mountie Mints?"

"Excuse me? Is that their name?"

"No, but that's what Julie and I call them."

"I'm not sure I want to know this story…"

"Oh, Jack, sisters like to have secrets, you know that. And we were both married to Mounties, you know."

"Yes, but delectable Mountie Mints? Really, Elizabeth? I think I'm entitled to be in on that secret…"

"Well, if you must know…

As you recall, Julie met her husband James while she was on a camping trip with the Girl Guides in 1917. James just happened to be one of the Mounties that was working in the area of Niagara Falls when Julie desired to share her love of adventure with Uncle Wesley, and some Girl Guides and their parents. The girls were excited to earn some badges on this trip.

The first couple of days went well. But on the third day, there was a terrible storm and the closest place for the group to spend the night was the home of Mountie James. And fortunately for the campers, James had extra room in his cabin which you know is quite unusual for a Mountie. Usually, they have a very small place. When the group made it to eh cabin, you know Julie. She took the initiative to get the kids and their parents situated, and then sat down with Uncle Wesley and James and made some tea. Well, it didn't take long for Julie and James to get into an argument about the proper way to prepare for inclement weather. It didn't matter to Julie that James had been a Mountie for almost ten years; she was insistent that she knew more about it than he since she had been camping with the Girl Guides for five years!

Well, the storm didn't let up for days, so they all had to stay inside the cabin and figure how to adapt. But Uncle Wesley noticed that even though James & Julie argued over silly things, they couldn't keep their eyes off of each other. James shared with Wesley that he never intended to settle down because he liked the adventure of being stationed all over the country. Little did James know that Julie was just like him – always wanting an adventure. When a heart calls your name, Jack; they were meant for each other. Just like us.

As the local Mountie, you know that James had to do his rounds regardless of the terrible weather. On the third day it got really bad, and Julie couldn't sleep because James hadn't come home at dinner time. By 10 p.m., Uncle Wesley and the rest of the campers went to bed but Julie was concerned for James. So she made some tea and waited up for him, and he didn't return until midnight. When he came in the door, he was soaking wet and was shivering. He so appreciated the fire and hot tea that Julie prepared for him. That's when it all began, Jack. When they spoke that night, Julie expressed that she was going stir crazy being holed up in the house. James said that he expected the weather to improve the next day and he asked Julie if she would like to go on a walk before she headed home.

James was right about the weather improving. When everyone woke up the next day, it was beautiful outside. So the campers needed to pack up and return to their homes and to check on their families. While everyone was getting their belongings together, James and Julie want on a walk to the lake.

James said, "Julie, it was nice having you around the past couple of days. I know that we didn't exactly see eye-to-eye when we first met, but you impressed me with your knowledge of the outdoors and how you like adventure, and I would love to call on you if you are interested."

"James, I would very much appreciate you calling on me. And yes, I do love adventure."

"And you know the rest of the story, Jack, within six months, they were married."

"And where do the Mountie Mints come into the story?"

Elizabeth chucked, "Oh, yes, sorry, Jack, I got side-tracked talking about James and Julie. When I went to Toronto for Julie's Bridal Shower, the first night we stayed up all night drinking tea and eating those Girl Guide chocolate mint cookies. I talked all night about you and Julie talked all night about James. We compared notes about our Mounties, you could say. We were like silly school girls that night. The funny thing is, being the adventurous type, I was surprised how nervous she was about the honeymoon. So, I shared with her how wonderful it was between you and me."

"What exactly did you share, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth kissed Jack and said, "Don't worry, Jack, just girl stuff. I didn't share anything too intimate."

"Well, that's good to know, because I was pretty nervous myself on our honeymoon."

"Really, Jack? I recall things going quite well…"

"Sorry, Jack, I keep getting side-tracked. Back to the 'delectable Mountie Mints'. When Julie first came to Coal Valley, she asked me, 'what's really going on between you and that delectable Mountie?' So, each year when the Girl Guide cookies come out, Julie would ask me if I bought any delectable Mountie mints."

"I see. Well as long as I can be the subject of your enjoyment!"

"Jack, you will always be the subject of my enjoyment! But it's funny how things don't always end up the way they're imagined. Did you know that before I left for Coal Valley that Julie said that I'd end up an old school marm never taking any chances in life and love?"

"Well, I'm so happy that you took a chance in life and love with me, Elizabeth. I just love the life that we've made together. I can't imagine my life without you and our family."

"Jack, you have made my life complete. Since the time we met, except for a few bumps in the road, I can't imagine even one day without you. You have been the most amazing husband and father."

"Elizabeth, would you like to go for a drive with a delectable Mountie tomorrow? Perhaps we could discuss a few of those "bumps in the road"…

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10 Bumps in the Road

Chapter 10

A Bump in the Road

"Good morning, beautiful. After we eat this delicious breakfast you made, are you ready to go for a drive with your delectable Mountie?"

"Yes, _Delectable_, you wanted to discuss the 'bumps in the road' that we've had. Couldn't we just discuss our good times?

"Elizabeth. We learn from all of our experiences. We need to discuss the bad along with the good. Besides, we only had a few bumps. And I would have endured falling boulders and steep mountains to spend my life with you. You know my motto, dear, 'whatever it takes'. We just had a few times that we had to persevere."

"Well, you sure had to persevere Superintendent Higgins, Jack!"

"_I_ had to persevere Higgins? _You_ mean we had to endure Higgins! I can't imagine how hard that situation must have been for you. He was definitely a bump on the road. No, let me correct that. Higgins was a boulder that dropped out of the sky in Coal Valley that day."

"Yes, when I first saw him, I did a double-take. I couldn't believe he actually came here. He assumed I would have gone running back to Toronto and beg him for a reassignment.

That day, just a couple of months after we began courting, I recall you coming over to the café at breakfast. You asked me to go on a picnic lunch to the lake, that you had something special for me. I told you, 'I'd love to, Jack, I'll pack the food.'

We strolled to the lake, arm in arm, you carrying the picnic basket. You laid out a blanket on the ground by the lake and set the basket down. We ate sandwiches and drank some apple cider."

After we ate, I said, "I have something for you Elizabeth. I always hope you will keep me close to your heart."

"Oh, Jack, a beautiful locket with our picture on it. I love it! I will keep you close to me at all times." I leaned in so that you could put the locket on me and I reached in to give you a kiss. My hand slipped and I knocked you backwards, falling on top of you. You looked into my eyes, and we began kissing…and kissing…and kissing. I knew it wasn't proper to be doing that, especially out in public by the lake, but I couldn't let you go. I didn't want to let you go.

Jack smiled and made a shivering gesture. "I remember, Elizabeth. As you were kissing me and grasping my shoulders, I was so lost in you. My love for you at that time was already so intense. But we shouldn't have been putting our love on display the way we did. As we rolled around on the blanket, it was good that I hit my head on that picnic basket or things might have really gotten out of hand. What you do to me, Elizabeth!" Jack and Elizabeth both looked at each and chuckled.

"Jack, what about what _you do to me_? How did we ever get through our first year together without a scandal? I wanted to jump into your arms whenever I saw you, and I didn't want to let go. We were like magnets. "

"I remember, Elizabeth, trust me! But Higgins tried his best to create a scandal. He was really something."

"Yes he was, Jack. That next morning when he appeared at the café for breakfast, I was repulsed by his presence. But I had no choice but to meet him after school since he was the Superintendent. So he came to the saloon and I had to sit by him at the table so that he could discuss my additional training requirements and my reassignment.

"Mr. Higgins, I'm happy to take additional training but I do not wish to be reassigned. I've made so much progress with the students here in Coal Valley and so many of them lost their fathers, you know. Please don't have them lose their teacher now, too!"

"Ms. Thatcher, I've already made up my mind. After you and I go to Ellwood for training, I'm going to reassign you to Hidden Springs. You'll need to be there for at least one full school year. If you do what I expect, then I'll reconsider letting you come back to Coal Valley. Why you'd want to stay in this God forsaken place, I have no idea, especially when you can be in Hidden Springs with me. Since there building a new railroad station there, I've decided it would be a good location for me to set up a new district office. So we can be together and I can keep my eye on you. You have proven your abilities here in Coal Valley and now I need you there."

"Mr. Higgins, it's not your eyes that I'm worried about. I have made it clear that I'm not interested in your advances. If you expect me to go to Hidden Springs in exchange for certain _favors_, you're sadly mistaken. You should know that I'm courting Constable Thornton here in town."

Reaching for my hand, he said, 'Ms. Thatcher, won't you reconsider?'

As I yanked back my hand I said, 'No, I won't reconsider. I'll just have to quit my job then."

"Ms. Thatcher, I recommend that you change your mind or I will make it known in Toronto that Elizabeth Thatcher has engaged in misconduct unbefitting of a teacher and a lady. How well would that set with the Thatcher legacy? I'm a powerful man as you know. And I'm a man who knows how to get what he wants."

"My misconduct, Mr. Higgins? What about your misconduct? You are trying to coerce me now just like you did before, giving me an assignment 'in exchange for favors.' I wasn't interested in you then, Mr. Higgins, and I'm certainly not interested now. You're not a man. You have no idea what a real man is..."

"What does a real man look like, Ms. Thatcher? Is it one who takes a beautiful young teacher out to the lake and frolics all over the ground with her in the middle of the day? I saw you and the Constable at the lake yesterday – you were quite 'friendly' with him. Is that conduct becoming of a teacher and a lady?"

"Jack, I just looked down, embarrassed. I didn't say anything."

Higgins said, "Well, then, Ms. Thatcher, if you won't go willingly to Hidden Springs, I will file charges against Constable Thornton for his misconduct. Section XIII Code 5684 explicitly states that a Constable may not engage in acts of moral turpitude, any conduct that is contrary to good moral standards. Let me be clear, Ms. Thatcher, I will ruin the Constable's career, and all because you couldn't keep your hands off of him. Is that what you want to do to your 'real man'?"

I looked down, tears streaming from my face and I said, "You win, Mr. Higgins. I will not have Constable Thornton brought up on charges because of me. I will go to Hidden Springs."

"Elizabeth, when I came to see you that evening at dinnertime, Abigail told me that you had been crying and were very upset. When I saw you, my heart sank. I thought maybe I had done something to upset you. When you told me that you had to go to training for a month and then you were being reassigned to Hidden Springs for a new teaching assignment, I was beside myself. And you wouldn't even talk to me about it. I was angry. You were adamant about going. I thought we could at least discuss my seeking a transfer. But you didn't even want to discuss the matter. You were willing to go so easily."

"Jack, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you the truth about Higgins from the beginning. Do you remember that time you came to see me before school and you told me about Rosemary? You asked me "aren't there things in your life that you haven't told me?" I responded, "I'm certain my life is far less dramatic…" Well I guess I didn't want to open up that old wound either, Jack. Why do men and women play games with each other?" If we'd just tell the whole truth from the start..."

"When I saw the stagecoach leave for Ellwood that morning, my heart was breaking. It must have been how you felt when I left for Cape Fullerton. And the fact that you were leaving with that Higgins character didn't help matters. I didn't like him at all. But I didn't want to cause any trouble with your job or your boss. When you left for training that day, I wanted to jump into that stagecoach and ask you to marry me right then and there. But you had distanced yourself from me once Higgins came to town.

I was thankful that you wrote to me every day, Elizabeth. At least I knew that you weren't upset with me. I tried to be positive looking forward to seeing you after your training and before you would leave for Hidden Springs."

"Jack, receiving _your_ letters was the highlight of my day. Each night before I went to sleep, I would read your letters and I'd kiss you – first on my locket and then in my dreams. You never left my heart, Jack. But how I longed to jump into your arms, to kiss you and to never let you go.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I was surely thankful that Rosemary was still in town. Although she waited too long to tell you, we were so fortunate that Rosemary eavesdropped and overheard the conversation between Higgins and me."

"Yes. One day, I was sitting on the porch of the jail and I guess she said my name several times and I was just staring into space. Elizabeth, thoughts of you consumed me when you weren't with me. All I could think about was holding you, kissing you, loving you. But that day, when Rosemary finally did get my attention, she apologized for not having come to see me before. She acknowledged that she was hoping for a reconciliation with me since you were 'out of the picture." But once she realized how unhappy I was, how much I missed you, she gave up. She broke down and told me what she overheard between you and Higgins that day in the saloon. I immediately told Bill and Abigail and left early the next morning for Ellwood.

"I remember that day at Ellwood, Jack. In the middle of a training session, I was asked to go to Room 7, that I had a special meeting that I needed to attend immediately. When I walked into Room 7, I couldn't believe my eyes! You were sitting in the chair and looking at me with the biggest smile on your face! You stood up and I ran to your arms and you just held me. You never felt so good - I got lost in your embrace. At that moment, I knew that I never wanted to be away from you again. As we finally let go and looked at each other, tears welled up in our eyes, we both said, "I've missed you so much."

"I proceeded to tell you that Rosemary told me all about your conversation with Higgins, and that you only left to protect me and my reputation. Elizabeth, you proved to me once again what a remarkable woman you were, that you are. What a blessing you have been in my life.

"Jack, let's stop and get some lunch and continue our story. It's about to get good. Really good…"

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11 Bumps in the Road Part 2

Chapter 11

Bumps in the Road Part 2

"How's your Vegetable soup, Elizabeth? Would you like to share my roast beef sandwich?"

"No thanks, Jack. I'm saving room for some cherry pie. Now, where were we…"

"I had just arrived in Ellwood and you were notified that you had an important meeting in Room 7. Elizabeth, when you ran into my arms that day, I realized how I couldn't live without you any longer and that I would do whatever it takes to have you by my side.

As you finished up your training that day, I went to the local Royal Canadian Mounted Police and filed the charges against Higgins. They wired the Department of Education at the Province of Ontario and let them know that Higgins was being arrested immediately and being charged with bribery, coercion, and moral turpitude."

"At the end of class, both Higgins and I were summoned to the lobby. At first I was concerned because I didn't want to go anywhere with him. But as we entered the lobby, I could see a lot red surge jackets, and I heard your voice. You said, 'Higgins, you are under arrest for the charges of bribery, coercion, and moral turpitude against Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher.'

Naturally Higgins denied it and said, "Prove it."

"We'll prove it, Higgins, when you have your day in court."

"As Higgins was being escorted out of the building, he looked over at you and mouthed, 'This isn't over, Thatcher.' That made me angry, Elizabeth. So, I asked you to wait there, that I'd be right back. Looking at Elizabeth Jack smiled and said, 'I'm not sure how it happened, but Higgins broke his nose getting into the back of the coach that day'."

"I was so happy that I wouldn't have to see that dreadful man again until his trial. And I knew that you'd be with me then, and I'd feel safe. I never wanted to be alone with him again! I'm so glad that those other teachers came forward, too, once the word got out about him and all that he had done. I was happy that he was convicted and went to prison for twenty years. If you remember, he died in prison.

But I did appreciate the training that I received in Ellwood; the new techniques were helpful teaching the kids in Coal Valley. Once Higgins was arrested, I didn't mind staying in Ellwood another week because the training was very good, and I was no longer worried about between reassigned to Hidden Springs. Under the circumstances, I was convinced that Higgins' replacement would allow me to stay in Coal Valley. I was so thankful that he did.

I do remember the wonderful dinner we had that night, Jack. I relished that time with you since I still had another week of training and you had to go back to Coal Valley the next day."

"I remember that dinner, too, Elizabeth. When I called on you that evening…let me just say…you were stunning and I could hardly contain myself. I just wanted to take you in my arms and never let go. I wanted to marry you right then and there."

"I remember when you opened the door that night, you didn't say anything…you just stared at me. I said, 'Jack…Jack…are you okay? And you finally came out of your trance."

"I said, Elizabeth, you look beautiful…you are beautiful. I am so happy to be with you. How'd did I get so lucky to have you on my arm?"

"Jack, do you have any idea how handsome _you_ are…especially when you smile and show those dimples? I melt every time. I'm the lucky one and I'm honored to be on your arm. You are my handsome hero!"

After dinner, you asked me if I wanted to go dancing and I said that I really only wanted to spend time alone with you since you were leaving the next day. I remember that we took a walk to that nice park nearby with the lanterns and curved sidewalks. It was very romantic and we didn't say much to each other. We didn't need to; being together was all that we needed."

"When it was time to say goodnight, you invited me in your hotel room for a proper good night kiss to say goodbye because I would be leaving early the next morning. Inside your room, you noticed a phonograph player and I questioned 'How'd that get here?' and you replied 'I don't know.' 'Yeah, Jack, just like you didn't know how the backdrop got in the saloon for the Founder's Day dance?' I remember us smiling at each other."

"I said, 'Elizabeth, may I have this dance?' And we danced for a long time even after the music on the phonograph stopped."

"We had our own music, Jack. I didn't want to let you go that evening. I just wanted to hold you all night, but that wouldn't have been proper, and you needed your sleep. When it was time for you to leave, you reached up and moved your fingers through my hair and you kissed me like you had never kissed me before. I still remember that kiss forty years later…WOW! When it finally ended, before I realized what was happening, I reached up and touched your face and said, 'I love you, Jack.' That was the first time that I told you that I loved you."

"That gave me confidence, Elizabeth and I followed up with, 'Elizabeth, even though we've only known each other a short time, in my heart I have loved you my whole life. The feeling that I have when I'm with you is enough to carry me though all of eternity. My arms will forever be full because you were once in them.'"

"And we kissed and hugged a little more…and then you had to leave. I did not sleep that night, Jack. All I could think about was you holding me, touching me, kissing me, loving me."

"I didn't sleep well, either, Elizabeth. But I had made up my mind that I would not be hesitant in our relationship any longer…that following week, I had something special to prepare for…"

"Oh, yes, something very special! I love talking about this, Jack. Maybe it's not so bad to talk about the bumps in the road when they end the way this one did!

When I returned to Coal Valley, I had no idea what would be in store for me. When the stagecoach arrived, the Coal Valley kids greeted me warmly, holding up signs welcoming me back. You reached for my hand to help me off of the coach, you smiled at me, you kissed my cheek, and I fell into your arms. The kids giggled but I didn't care, Jack. After the greetings, you asked me if I'd like to freshen up and go for a walk before dinner. I remember that I couldn't wait to have you all alone again!"

"We took a walk to our favorite place, the location where we built our home and our life together. I said, 'Elizabeth, when you left for Ellwood and were going to be stationed in Hidden Valley, I knew I had to do something to keep you with me. But I didn't know what to do. I didn't want you to have to give up your teaching for me but I couldn't bear to be apart from you. As I said in Ellwood, 'I feel as though I have loved you my whole life. You are already a part of me.' So, I got down on one knee, took out the ring box and offered it to you, looked up at you and said, 'Elizabeth Thatcher, accept this ring as a promise that I will give you all of my heart, all of my love, and all of my soul for the rest of our lives. And if you agree to become one with me, I ask that you give me all of your heart, all of your love, and all of your soul. I adore you, Elizabeth Thatcher. Will you marry me?"

As tears ran down my face I said, "I accept, Jack! Yes, I will give you all of my heart…I will give you all of my love…I will give you all of my soul. Yes, Jack, I will marry you! I love you with all of my heart.." Then I jumped into your arms so fast that we almost fell over on the ground. We kissed…and hugged…and cried…and smiled…all the way back to Abigail's. But my night wasn't over yet.

As we walked back into town, I noticed people whispering to each other. I was too happy to care, though…I was just so happy at that moment. When you & I walked into Abigail's, everyone shouted 'Congratulations!' I was shocked as I looked at all of our friends…how did they know? And then I looked over to my right and I saw my mother and father, and Julie all there cheering us on, too! Jack, what a remarkable man you are…what a beautiful surprise for me! You had sent a telegram to my family explaining all of the recent events…letting them know all about Higgins and what he had done…and what you were planning to do. You asked for their blessing for my hand in marriage…and you asked them to be here when I got home! How wonderful it was to come home to Coal Valley…home to Jack Thornton…home to my family…home together!

You see the good thing about a bump in the road is that eventually the road becomes smooth.

Jack, I'm so glad that we put our faith and trust in the Lord because He got us through that bumpy time. And look at us now, forty years later. What an amazing life together we've had."

"Well you are one amazing woman, Elizabeth. But I do recall a time shortly after we were married when you didn't think your _Mountie_ was so amazing…"

To be continued

Notes:

Credit goes to Beth Moore, _Children of the Day_, for the following quote, that I excerpted:

"Having known you and loved you is enough reward to carry me through all of eternity. My arms will forever be full because you were once in them. " I read that in Bible study this week and I wanted to share it.


	12. Chapter 12 A Little Goes a Long Way

Chapter 12

A Little Goes a Long Way

"Good morning, darling," Jack whispered as he rolled over and gazed at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth mumbled, "Jack, please help me…I need your help…why is this happening…huh…what...where…_Jack_? I must have been dreaming. I kept dreaming about cleaning out my closet. Every time I'd take dresses out of the closet, when I'd go back, there'd be twice as many there as before."

Jack chuckled, "What is with you and cleaning out your closet? Is your dream because of our conversation yesterday? When we were talking I reminded you about a time right after we were married that you didn't find me all that amazing…"

"Oh, yeah, Mr. Thornton, I remember. Shall we talk about it over coffee?"

"Well, that depends, will you be wearing pink or blue to the kitchen?"

"Very funny, Jack…"

"About this much cream, Elizabeth?"

"Yes, Jack, a little goes a long way."

Jack said, "Shall we discuss your little closet problem?"

Elizabeth frowned, "Oh, yeah…the closet…Would it really matter if I said that I didn't want to talk about it?"

Jack smiled and said, "Not really…

We had been married for about three months. And frankly, those first three months were, shall I say, incredible! I could barely wait to see you after school each day, and the evenings…well," Jack took a deep breath, "were beyond anything that I could have ever imagined. What you did to me then…what you still do to me now…I can't even describe it. One day I plan to thank the Lord for the way he made man and woman…"

Elizabeth laughed, "You're just trying to make light of everything because you know that this is upsetting to me…"

Jack continued. "One Friday as we were walking home, Ned Yost stopped us and said, Mrs. Thornton, we received another crate for you. Shall I have Hickam deliver it to your house on Saturday morning as usual? And I looked at you and you had a surprised look on your face. I said, 'Elizabeth, what does he mean that Hickam will deliver another crate to you on Saturday morning as usual? You have crates delivered while I'm out on my rounds? I was furious and said to Ned, 'No, thank you, Ned. I will come over and pick it up myself."

"I remember all too well, Jack. When you got to the mercantile and you looked inside the crate and found all those dresses and shoes…for me…you were so angry. You had to get a buckboard in order to take that crate home. And you didn't say a single word to me the whole ride home.

But as soon as we got in the house you said…"

"Elizabeth, what is going on? What is this all about? How many crates have you received since we've been married? _Every_ Saturday morning? Why are you buying all of these clothes?"

"Is that what you're worried about, Jack, the money to buy these clothes?"

"That's part of it, Elizabeth, because you know that on our salaries, we can't afford all of these! And how many dresses do you need, Elizabeth? There are seven days in a week so you shouldn't need more than that! Come to think of it, you wear a different outfit almost every day. Is that really necessary? If you need variety, when you get tired of me, are you going to trade me in for a new Mountie? How did I not figure this out before? How could all of those clothes fit in our closet?"

"I got angry too, Jack, and said, 'Jack, don't you want me to look nice for you? I've always had lots of clothes. My family has the money and they send me new clothes every couple of weeks. What's the big deal?"

"I then blew my fuse, "What do you mean what's the big deal? Are you sure you wanting to look nice for me, or for you? How about the fact that you've been deceiving me about all of this? Are you saying that you need to live in luxury like the way you grew up? I thought you gave that all up when you came to Coal Valley! Are you saying that you're not satisfied with how I provide for you?"

"Jack, you were so angry, I had never seen you like that before. You walked out of the house and slammed the front door. And I was angry, too! But my anger soon turned to tears. I thought about how hard you worked to provide for me…and all that you did for others. I realized how lucky I was to have you as my husband. I would never want another Mountie! I also realized that what I had done was very wrong. That by receiving those clothes I was not really giving up my old life and accepting the one that _we_ had together. And I wanted you more than anything, Jack. I cried and cried…and hoped that you would forgive me.

After about an hour, I started to clean out my closet and I kept only what was necessary –seven nice dresses and some work clothes. I got rid of most of my shoes and hats, too. I piled everything in the living room to have it donated the very next day.

And I sat in the living room waiting for you. I must have sat there for at least another hour but it felt like a whole day..."

"I came in the front door and saw piles of clothes and I panicked for an instant, thinking that you were leaving me. I said, 'Elizabeth, can't we work this out, please? I'm sorry I got so angry but we need to talk about this!'"

Elizabeth was fighting back tears reliving this. "Jack, I was so wrong back then for not telling you about the clothes. My heart sank when you came in the living room that night, so panicked after seeing all of those clothes. You thought I was packing up and leaving. And I was the one at fault."

"Elizabeth, as I looked at all those clothes, the thought of you leaving me was overwhelming! I had gone for a long walk and I was determined to swallow my pride and accept that since you were accustomed to nice things that I needed to get over myself and let your family send you these things. But then you amazed me again, Elizabeth Thornton…"

"I said, 'Jack, I'm not leaving you. But I am leaving my old lifestyle once and for all. You are what's important to me…you, Jack. You will always be the only Mountie for me…forever! Not clothes…not shoes…not hats…you and only you!' I walked over to you and hugged you…I remember not wanting to let go. I looked up at you and said, 'I'm so sorry Jack, I was wrong for not telling you about the clothes…please forgive me.'"

"I picked you up in my arms, kissed you and said, 'I love you, Elizabeth, can we please not do this again? I don't want something silly like clothes to come between us."

"I agree wholeheartedly, Jack. We should have talked about it. And just in case you're wondering, I'm getting rid of all these clothes. And there's more room in the closet now for your things now that I only have seven dresses in there…"

"Seven dresses? Are you sure, Elizabeth?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Jack. Well, I guess we were bound to have our first fight sooner or later. I've read that the best part of fighting is the making up part!"

"Well, Mrs. Thornton, you didn't get rid of all of your nighties, did you?"

"Let me think, Mr. Thornton. I may have kept a few. What is your favorite color on me, pink or blue?"

"Blue like your eyes, Elizabeth. Blue like your eyes."

Jack smirked, "A little goes a long way, Elizabeth. A little goes a long way."

"The next morning, I remember getting out of bed and walking to the kitchen to make coffee. On the way, I looked over at the piles of clothes in the living room and I laughed and thought to myself, 'You are one lucky man, Jack Thornton…one lucky man.'"

And then I heard Bill pounding hard at the front door, "Jack, are you home?"

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13 Sweet Stew

Chapter 13

Sweet Stew

"Elizabeth, do you remember the morning after the 'closet affair'?"

"Oh, so you now refer to that _blue_ night as the closet affair, hum, Jack?"

Laughing, Jack said, "Well, that night definitely got my attention in more ways than one. Blue is your color, Elizabeth…"

"You have quite the memory, Jack. But I'll have you know that I recall a few things from that night also..."

Jack picked Elizabeth up in his arms, "Will you show me later?"

Elizabeth grinned at Jack, "Perhaps. But pink is your color, Jack. Hey, I thought we were going to talk about Bill."

Jack smiled, "Alright. Sorry. It's easy to get carried away when you're near me…"

Elizabeth shared, "I remember Bill pounding at our front door, saying, 'Jack? Jack? I need your help.'"

"And we both came running to see what was wrong. 'Come in Bill, what's wrong?'"

"I remember Bill walking in the door looking around saying, 'What happened here? It looks like your closet exploded in the living room, Elizabeth!'"

"We smiled at each other and then at Bill, 'It's a long story, Bill.'"

"Bill, enough about us. What's wrong? Is Abigail okay?"

"Abigail thinks she has the stomach flu or something. I'm not really sure. As she started cooking this morning, she got really sick. And it's Saturday, so we'll be really busy today and I'd hate to close the café. Jack, would you be willing to come over and help me with the cooking and serving today?"

"Hey, what about me? I'm still in learning to cook but I know the basics!

"Of course, Elizabeth. I could use the help from both of you."

"Sure, Bill. I will make my rounds in a hurry and be right there. You know that Elizabeth and I will help you however we can."

"Thank you both. I would have asked Cat to help but she and the kids went to visit her sister Cheryl in Boston. See you soon."

"So, I walked into the café and it was pretty chaotic. I heard dishes breaking in the kitchen, and a few people seemed upset in the dining room because they hadn't been served yet. So, I rushed to the kitchen to offer my help to Bill."

"Bill asked me to serve the new customers in the dining room first. Fortunately, there was coffee made and hot water available and Abigail had baked some muffins and scones before she got sick, so I was able to satisfy the breakfast crowd. But I knew that Bill needed help because I kept hearing him mumbling comments to himself such as 'Come on Avery, you know better than that' and 'Abigail, how do you dp all of this work every day?'

I walked into the kitchen and what a mess! It was even worse than the mess I made when I cooked dinner for you the first time, Jack! And I didn't think that was possible! So I cleaned up the kitchen and then asked Bill what was next. He asked that I prepare the fruit so that we could make some cherry pies. So, I washed off the cherries and picked off the stems. Abigail had the dough already made so all I had to do was roll out the pie crusts. As I started to roll out the dough, it was sticking to the counter and you walked in, Jack."

"I asked you, 'Elizabeth, may I help you? Did you flour the surface?' You gave me a disgusted look and said, 'Grab an apron, Jack, and bring me the flour, please!"

"I was embarrassed, Jack, that I had forgotten to flour the surface. But we worked together on making the pie crusts, and that was fun. I remember that we rolled out enough dough for five pies. We then mixed the cherries with sugar and cornstarch, and filled the pies and put a little butter on top of the cherry mixture. We then put the dough on top and trimmed the edges of the pies. We sprinkled a little sugar on top and we baked the pies for a little less than an hour. When they came out, they looked so good! We were pretty proud of ourselves, weren't we? It was fun working together in the kitchen. And you looked so pretty in your pink apron!"

"Yes, I did! You know that pink is my color, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth laughed, "what else do you remember that day?"

"I remember that after we made the pies, I began helping Bill with preparing the stew for dinner. You finished up the breakfast dishes and began preparing the salad.

"You have a good memory, Jack! The pies were baked and cooling, so I went to check on Abigail while you and Bill finished up the stew. When I walked into her room, she looked over at me and said, 'Oh, Elizabeth, you're not going to believe this…I think I'm pregnant!"

"Congratulations, Abigail! But what's wrong?"

"I'm afraid to tell Bill. I've been telling him I think I have the stomach flu but I have all the symptoms of being pregnant. I can't believe he hasn't figured this out yet…"

"Don't be afraid, Abigail. He'll be thrilled to know that you're having a baby! After all that both of you have been through, he'll be so happy!"

"Elizabeth, but my age…having a baby at my age doesn't always turn out well. I couldn't bear to lose another child and neither could he."

"You won't lose this child, Abigail! You're a strong, healthy woman – everything will turn out well, just wait and see! This is such wonderful news, Abigail!"

"Elizabeth, you're always such an encouragement to me. Thank you for being such a good friend. Tell me, how are you at babysitting?"

"Much better than I am at cooking and sewing! Wait until Jack hears! He'll be so excited for you and Bill!"

"Elizabeth, please don't tell him yet. I need to tell Bill first."

"It's going to be hard, Abigail, but I'll do my best. But you know Jack…he can figure me out pretty easily…"

"Abigail was feeling better so we both went downstairs to the kitchen. Abigail looked around the kitchen and was impressed that the stew was made, the pies were baked and cooled, the dishes were done, and everything was in order for the dinner crowd."

"Abigail said, 'Wow, you guys have everything in order here. It doesn't look like you needed me at all today."

"Then all of a sudden, Jack, you wrapped me in your arms, and said, 'Pink or blue?' I said, 'Jack, can't this wait until later? Pink or blue…really?'"

Bill came around the corner and said, "What's this talk about pink or blue, Jack? "Are you two going to have a baby? That would be wonderful! Congratulations!"

"I said, No, No, Bill, Elizabeth and I aren't going to have a baby. That would be news to me."

"Abigail overheard talk of pink and blue and about having a baby. She walked over to me and gave me a disapproving look."

"I said, 'It's not what you think, Abigail…'"

"Abigail rolled her eyes. But she was hungry so she walked over to the stove to sample the stew. She put a small amount in a bowl, took a bite, and spit it back into the bowl. She said, 'Why is that stew so sweet? Stew isn't supposed to be sweet! I'm going to be sick again' and she rushed outside the back door. I went over to the stove and tasted the stew. It was so sweet my mouth puckered! I asked you, 'Jack, what did you use to thicken the stew? You picked up the container and brought it to me and I tasted it. You used powdered sugar, not flour!"

"I remember, Elizabeth. I think I can still taste that stew forty years later. It was awful. But I didn't want to waste all that meat and vegetables. So I ate sweet stew for two weeks!"

"Well, at least you didn't almost break a tooth on the cherry pie! After all that work making the dough and cleaning the fruit. I still can't believe that I forgot to take the pits out of the cherries! I'm so glad that I tried a piece of it before serving it to any customers!"

"As the four of us stood there laughing about the stew and the pie, Abigail looked at you and me and said, 'Do you think you come over and help at the café in about seven months? I have a feeling that I'm going to need some help around here!'"

"I said, 'I'm available, Abigail. Seven months gives me more time to learn how to cook!'

And you cleared your throat and looked at Abigail you said, "That's wonderful news! Congratulations!"

"Bill looked at me with a concerned look, 'Really, Jack. Come on. You better be careful or you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight! And you don't even have any room with all those clothes all over the living room! Just give Elizabeth time, she'll learn how to cook! I said 'Bill, you really don't know what we're talking about, do you?"

"Bill said, 'yeah, you're joking around with Elizabeth about her cooking, right?"

I said, "No, Bill, this is about what you and Abigail have cooked up. Pink or blue…needing more help around here in seven months…get it?"

"Bill looked puzzled but he began to piece it all together. He thought about Abigail and her getting sick twice that day and it dawned on him that Abigail must be pregnant. He walked over to her, looked at her, and sweetly said, "A baby? We're going to have a baby?' Now, that's what I call a sweet stew!"

"Abigail said, 'Yes, Bill. We're going to have a baby in about seven months. So we have a lot of work to do around here to get prepared for that!"

"Wasn't that a wonderful moment, Jack? Bill wrapped her in his arms and told her much he loved her…how excited he was for the baby. She needed to hear that because she was afraid."

"I remember that as we were leaving to go back home, Bill pointed to me and I was still wearing the apron and he said 'Pink is your color Jack!'"

"It may have been forty years ago, Elizabeth, but on that day…and that night…pink was definitely my color."

"Jack, why is it that you remember certain things very well…except when you go into selective memory mode?"

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth?

"Let me see, Jack. There was that time that you forgot about a very important date…"

To be continued…

Possible cooking/baking mishaps:

Didn't pit cherries

Put sugar in the custard pie - 2 ½ cups sugar – put in ½ twice

Gravy made with powdered sugar instead of flour

His mother had given me a beautiful large, antique crystal pitcher that she wanted to have for ice tea. She told me how to make it, first boil water to make tea, then make a syrup with water and sugar. As I poured the syrup in the pitcher about to add the tea when the pitcher cracked and broke into many pieces, flying all over the kitchen floor, as I turned in dismay I slipped on the syrupy kitchen floor, fell flat on my stomach and could not get up for I kept on slipping and ended up cutting myself, fortuntely not badly.  
What a mess I had to clean up, not just the floor but myself too. There was no ice tea with mint that hot summer day for my husband thar evening!

forgot to poke holes in the potatoes and they exploded


	14. Chapter 14 A Date Forgotten

Chapter 14

A 'Date' Forgotten

"What do you mean, Elizabeth Thornton, that I forgot about a very important date? I have never forgotten your birthday or our anniversary!"

"Your right, Jack. You've always been good with the dates on a calendar. I had a different type of _date_ in mind…"

"I'm drawing a blank, Elizabeth…but I have a feeling once you begin…you will refresh my memory."

"No doubt, Jack. How about we take our tea out on the back porch and sit on the swing. Maybe as we swing your memory will become clearer."

Jack winked, "It's a date, Elizabeth."

"About two months after we were engaged, you invited me to the Royal Northwest Canadian Mounted Police Gala Ball to be held in Edmonton. It was going to be three days going, two days there, and three days back. I kind of saw it as a pre-honeymoon trip and I was so excited to be spending eight days with you. Do you remember any details about the trip, Jack?"

"I remember how beautiful you were…"

"Jack, I mean about the trip, do you remember any of the details?"

"Of course, I do. The day we left Coal Valley was a beautiful day, and I had my beautiful fiancé by my side. I remember that the further north we went, the colder it got. I remember the first night we stopped off at a hotel in Revelstoke, and we had a great dinner together that night and went to the Nickelodeon Theatre to see "Queen Elizabeth." Wasn't that something at the time, Elizabeth?" And look how far things have come? We now have large theatre screens and can watch movies in color and we even have a television in black and white here at home. Before you know it, they'll probably even have television in color!"

"Yes, that movie was fun, Jack. It was very exciting to go to the Theatre with you, my very handsome date. And we finished off that night with a wonderful dinner and dancing. We went back to my room…and shall we say…spent a little time getting to know each other a little better."

"My memory is coming back now, Elizabeth. I remember that we got up early the next morning and we'd be staying in Calgary the next evening. We would be getting there a little early because you wanted to shop for a new dress for the Ball. So while I was out getting a haircut and shave and new suit, you went shopping for a dress. You bought two and brought one from home, and you suggested to model your dresses for me to get my opinion. So that evening after dinner, I was invited to my very own fashion show. That was quite a show, Elizabeth!"

"Jack! I knew you'd remember once we started talking about our trip! I remember that I first tried on the ivory lace dress that I brought from home. I brought that one because it was the most appropriate dress I had for the Gala Ball and I wanted to be prepared in case I wouldn't find a suitable one in Calgary."

I began my fashion show with the lace dress from home. You immediately said, 'Elizabeth, while you look incredibly beautiful in that dress, please don't wear this one, it reminds me of Billy Hamilton. When I see you in that dress, I still see you in his arms and I don't want to be thinking about him all night long. I want this night to be about you and me, and no one else. I'm sure one of the other two dresses will be just the right fit.'"

"Well, I have two more options: a midnight blue dress and a purple one that's quite lovely but very form fitting. I'll try on the blue one next."

"When you came out of the bathroom…oh, what a sight to behold…you looked so elegant and beautiful. The combination of that dress cascading over your body and your eyes…you were breathtaking. That dress accentuated all of your curves, shall I say? I remember walking over to you, standing in front of you…breathing you in. I couldn't resist but to pull you in my arms and kiss you. And I got a carried away. My feelings overwhelmed me…I didn't want to stop kissing you and touching you. I wanted to pick you up and…thank goodness for the knock on the door."

"Yes, Jack, thank goodness for that hotel clerk who knocked on the door. I don't think I would have stopped you from anything that night. I remember hearing you ask the clerk, 'Do you have any ice around here? It's a little warm in this room.' The hotel clerk responded, 'Sir, it's thirty degrees outside but I'll be happy to bring you some ice.'"

So, while you were talking to the hotel clerk, I hurried into the bathroom to change into the purple dress. Do you remember what happened next?"

"Do you really think that I could forget, Elizabeth? My heart about jumped out of my chest! I went over to the bathroom door and asked you if everything was okay. I could hear you faintly murmuring and I asked you what was wrong…"

"I said, 'I'm sorry, Jack, but my zipper in the back of this dress is stuck and I can't undo it. I'd ask you to help me but I'm not sure it would be a good idea for you to see me like this…you…well…we may find it difficult. I really didn't know what to do. I didn't want to ruin that dress but I was tempted to just tear it off!"

"But I had to try and help, Elizabeth. It was a new dress. It was hard, though because I was still feeling some pretty strong urges and when you opened the door and turned around…I wanted to tear that dress off of you myself! You stood there with the back of your dress opened down to your lacey undergarment…and the zipper was stuck _in_ the lace. I tried to help you but the harder I tried, the more skin that I touched, and after a short while, I couldn't take it anymore. I remember telling you, 'as much as I'd like to help you with your dress, if I stay any longer, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave your room tonight. And I love you and respect you too much for that. I'm sorry, Elizabeth. So I'm going to kiss your cheek and go down to the hotel lobby and find a female hotel clerk who can help you. But I will make sure that you're safe and then I will head to my room. I will see you tomorrow morning. Elizabeth. I love you."

"I do remember how quiet we were during our breakfast that next morning, Jack. We didn't say much on the ride to Edmonton and we both slept most of the way because neither of us slept much the night before."

"By the time we made it to Edmonton, we both agreed that instead of going to a formal dinner we would have an early one and have a quiet night and read in our rooms. I decided to take a walk around town and I happened to meet and catch up with a few of the cadets from the academy. I told them all about Coal Valley and that I was engaged to the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Jack, I was so excited for the Gala Ball that next day. We had a nice lunch together that day and we worked out our plans. You would pick me up at 5:30 p.m. and the Gala Ball would open their doors at 6:00 p.m. It was helpful that the Ball was being held at the same hotel where we stayed…so I didn't have to worry about a coat or having my hair messed up by the wind."

"I arrived at your door at 5:30 p.m. When you opened the door, I couldn't believe my eyes! I said, 'Elizabeth, you look stunning! You will be the most beautiful date at the Ball! You look like a princess…"

"If I'm a princess, then you are my prince, Jack. You are very handsome and I will be a little worried about all the women looking at my date tonight! Please remember that when you meet up with your old friends, don't forget about me and leave me there all alone!"

"That wouldn't be possible, Elizabeth. Shall we go, my beautiful princess?"

"We walked into the ballroom and it was exquisite. The tables were adorned with beautiful fresh flowers and white linens. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and the lighting was so beautiful. It was really romantic and elegant. It's too bad we had to share it with hundreds of other people!

We had a wonderful dinner and I excused myself to go to the ladies room. When I came back you were talking with some of your friends. You said, 'gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to my fiancé, Miss Rosemary Laveaux.' I looked at you in shock and ran to the back of the room. All of these thoughts ran through my mind…and at the forefront was 'you forgot me, Jack…you forgot that _I_ was your date?' 'Are you wishing that _I_ was Rosemary?"

"I ran after you, Elizabeth, and apologized repeatedly but you asked me to leave you alone. You ran into one of the Mountie's wives that you met at the beauty salon and you sat down with her and her husband. I thought it was best to give you a few minutes to calm down so I went outside for some fresh air to figure out what to do. I needed some time to think. In the meantime, the music and dancing started.

Once I figured out what to do, I hoped that I had the nerve to follow through with it. So, I went up to the emcee and asked him if I could use the microphone, that I had a very important message to deliver.

In front of the whole crowd, I thought, here goes…

_If I could get your attention, please. Tonight, I made a terrible mistake and I need to make things right with my fiancé, the beautiful Elizabeth Thatcher. Elizabeth, I hope you can hear me. You know that I'm not a man of poetry, but I can tell you this: Elizabeth Thatcher, you are the love of my life. I love you and only you. If I could, I would dwell with you every moment of my life because I feel complete when you are beside me. You inspire me and make me a better man. God made you especially for me…you fill up all of my senses. Please forgive me for what happened earlier. I love you. May I have this dance?"_

"I walked up to you, tears rolling down my cheeks and you said, 'I am so sorry, Elizabeth. It was a stupid mistake. I had just been talking to John from the academy and he knew that I had been engaged to Rosemary before, and when you came walking up…we had just been talking about the academy and our time there. I have no idea why I said her name. She is the farthest thing from my mind, Elizabeth. _You_ _are always on my mind_. _I love_ _you and only you_.' You pulled out your handkerchief and wiped away my tears, and you pulled me close. As I looked up at you, I noticed that a tear just rolled down your cheek. All of a sudden, the whole crowd began clapping. You kissed me…and you held me close as we danced the rest of the night."

"What a wonderful evening, my princess wife. When I walked you to your room, we ended up talking for hours. We talked about our childhoods…about our courtship…about our feelings and how wonderful it would be when we no longer had to say goodbye and go our separate ways. How wonderful it would be to be married and to be together in our own home.

You asked me what I meant when I said that you filled up all of my senses. I said, 'When I think about you, Elizabeth, or when I'm with you, my whole being takes part: with my sight, I see the most beautiful woman ever formed; with my hearing, I glean the voice of an angel who speaks to my heart; with my smell, I sense the sweetest fragrance that draws me in; with my taste, I savor the tender lips that mold against mine; and my touch, when you hold me, how I feel at home and want to stay with you forever."

"And you say you're not a man of poetry, Jack? What is more poetic than what you just told me? Your words speak to my heart and make me quiver. That is poetry.

That night when we were talking, I told you, 'I want to be Mrs. Jack Thornton as soon as possible. Let's not wait much longer, Jack. When we get back to Coal Valley, I will send Julie a telegram asking her to come right away to help us plan our wedding. Is that okay with you?'"

"If it had been up to me, Elizabeth, we would have gotten married that night. I would have figured out a way. But we needed to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord and our families. We also had our jobs to consider. Sometimes responsibility is overrated", Jack winked.

"I may have forgotten the name of my date at that Ball, but the most important date I would ever have in my life was scheduled that very same night - our_ wedding date - _the date that would make you my wife forever, Elizabeth Thornton."

"You truly are something, Jack Thornton", Elizabeth sighed. "Speaking of dates, I almost forgot that Julie will be here tomorrow. Will you go with me to town to pick up a few things?"

"I guess it's a date, Mrs. Thornton..."

To be continued


	15. Chapter 15 Making an Entrance

Chapter 15

Making an Entrance

Julie always knew how to make an entrance. From the time she came into this world feet-first, she always knew how to get your attention.

It was no different today, even with a broken leg. In late morning, a brand new Chrysler New Yorker with the horn blowing came pulling up the driveway. Much to our surprise, James was driving it! Julie, Catherine, and James came for a visit. They missed our 40th anniversary party because Julie fell off a horse and ended up in the hospital. James wasn't originally scheduled to come but because of Julie's broken leg, he thought it would be best to help Julie and he also thought it would be nice to spend some time with us.

Elizabeth and I were both happy to see Julie and her family. It had been almost a year since they had gotten together. And since their parents had passed away a few years before, getting together was especially important to Elizabeth now.

Jack exclaimed, "Welcome, everybody, we're so happy to see you! Can I help you with your bags? By the way, Julie, did you bring any of those delectable Mountie Mints with you?"

"No, Jack, why have the cookie when you can have the real thing?" Julie laughed.

Elizabeth hugged everyone, invited them inside, and whispered to Julie, "Sorry, I told Jack our secret about the delectable Mountie Mints."

"What are delectable Mountie Mints?" asked James.

"Well, James," said Jack, "You and I have some things to catch up on…these sisters have some interesting conversations, no doubt…"

"Oh James," said Julie, "it's just girl talk…you wouldn't be interested."

Elizabeth said, "Catherine, I can't wait to catch up with you regarding school…and boys…and…"

"Catherine, don't forget to tell Aunt Elizabeth about your latest adventure…you know, what you'd like to do…"

"Like mother, like daughter, I assume," Elizabeth laughed, "as compared to an old schoolmarm like me!"

"You were hardly a schoolmarm, Elizabeth, you were so good to your students. You were very creative and always looking for new ways to educate them. You were a wonderful teacher," Jack proudly proclaimed. "And all the boys had a crush on you…I had to fight them off," he winked at her.

"Oh, Elizabeth," chimed Julie, "you know before you came to Coal Valley that you were prim and proper and enjoyed all of the conveniences in life. How you ever survived that first year in Coal Valley is a miracle. But the fact that you did inspired me to change my way of life, too! If you could do, I could, too!"

Elizabeth chimed in, "When I came here, I was just following father's advice - he said that he hoped that I'd find what God had shaped me for, and to give my whole heart to it."

"Well God surely shaped you for me, in more ways than one, Elizabeth! And thank you for giving your students _and_ me your whole heart!" shared Jack.

"Jack!" Elizabeth smirked. "We'll discuss that later."

"Come on, Elizabeth. It's just family. And you do have a good shape…and it was made especially for me!"

Changing the subject, Elizabeth said, "How about some lunch? I made some sandwiches and lemonade for everyone."

During lunch Elizabeth asked, "Catherine, did you know how Coal Valley changed your mom's life as well as mine? Has she told you about the Tolliver gang and how we were kidnapped and Uncle Jack saved us?"

"Yes, Aunt Elizabeth, mom told me that she found an outlaw named Nate Tolliver in the woods, that she nursed him back to health, that she thought she fell in love with him, and that he fooled her. She told me how brave Uncle Jack was and that he saved you both."

Julie chimed in, "Yes, after that happened to me, I thought I could go back to Toronto and continue on with the life that I led before, but being here in Coal Valley changed me. I realized that life was not all about me and I wanted to help others. I really shocked your grandparents when I said that I wanted to get involved with the Girl Guides and help young woman learn to be self-sufficient and to not rely on a man."

"What's wrong with relying on a man?" James asked?

"Yes, ladies, what's wrong with relying on a man?" Jack repeated.

"Jack and James, if all men were like you two, women _could_ rely on men. Unfortunately, the Nate Tollivers of this world make that impossible. Anyway, we all need to find what God's will is for each of us and then we need to give it our best."

"Well, I'm not going to rely on a man and I aspire to be like Marion Alice Orr and get my pilot's license. I want to be the first woman pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. A woman can do anything that a man can do!" stated Catherine.

"You really are like your mother, Catherine. Before she met your father, she was so focused on working with the Girl Guides of Canada that I didn't think she'd ever get married. Did you know that when your mother met your father she thought she knew more about the outdoors than your father, even though he had been a Mountie for ten years, and had moved from post to post? But his heart called her name, Catherine, and she responded. Even if you try to avoid your calling, it will come knocking at your door when you least expect it."

"That's for you Aunt Elizabeth and Mom. Not me. I'm not going to get married. Guys are frustrating…"

"Well, James, I think that's our cue to go for a hike. We haven't done that in a while. We can catch up on the RNCMP…and other things."

"Yes, Jack, let's do that. We'll leave our lovely ladies alone so they can talk about guys," winked James. "Is that how they came up with delectable Mountie Mints?"

Jack kissed Elizabeth goodbye and James did the same with Julie and Catherine. The ladies went into the living room so Julie could elevate her leg.

"So, Julie, how did you fall off that horse, were you trying to show up the young ladies?"

"Oh, Elizabeth, where's your sense of adventure? Just because I'm older, doesn't mean that I can't be adventurous! I could have slipped in the bathtub or on the kitchen floor when I was cutting a loaf of bread. Life happens, Elizabeth, so why not grab all of the life that you can get?"

But, honestly, in this case, I _should_ have been more careful. I apparently was careless while tacking up my horse and my right stirrup slipped as I was riding and I fell directly on my right leg and broke it. And I had just finished training the girls how to properly tack up a horse. Agh! It's so important that the saddles, stirrups, bridles, etc. be attached properly and fit the rider. I knew better. Maybe I _am_ getting too old for this…perhaps I should think about giving up my adventurous ways…and just focus on the Girl Guide cookies," frowned Julie.

"Nonsense, Julie, you're just embarrassed about the incident. Don't give up! It's too important to you and you mean so much to these young ladies that you teach. That's what keeps you young! Have you so easily forgotten that until Catherine came along, you spent most of your time sharing your life with these young girls and how much they needed your advice, your wisdom, your strength, your sense of adventure! Look at Catherine and the positive impact you've had on her."

"Mom, Aunt Elizabeth is right. I guess I never thought about the affect _you have_ had on me and why I'm so independent. Thank you, Mom…I love you and I don't think you should give up."

"Thank you, Catherine, I love you too. It means a lot to hear you say that. You have been such a blessing to your father and me; you were our miracle child. We never thought we'd have children, we tried for many years but it just wasn't happening. We figured it was the Lord's will since we moved from post to post and didn't have a permanent place to call home other than Grandma and Grandpa Thatcher's. I was 43 years old when I had you. At that point, your dad and I built our first home and settled in Toronto. I guess that's why I continued on with the Girl Guides and enjoyed the camping trips so much – I missed the adventure of living at all of the posts."

"Julie, I'm sure in a few months when you're feeling better, you'll get on that horse again, and you'll be back to your adventures."

"I hope you're right, Elizabeth. I guess I just needed my big sister to reassure me."

"So, Catherine, why do you think guys are frustrating?"

"Because they think they know it all! And they can be whatever they want to be and I can't!"

"Who says you can't…and why take that out on guys?"

"Well, I want to be a pilot in the Air Force and they don't allow women pilots."

Elizabeth said, "Catherine, you must fight for what you believe in. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Even if you aren't able to become a pilot yourself, perhaps you'll forge a path for someone else. Just like Marion Alice Orr was the first Canadian woman to get her pilot's license and she inspired you to go into the Air Force. Making an entrance into life, into a career, or simply into a room isn't just about showing up in a different way…it includes being steadfast and moving forward against adversity…You know I certainly made an entrance when I came to Coal Valley and it wasn't easy. But I did it."

Julie added, "You know, Catherine, even when you're moving forward, life does not always turn out the way you envision it. But you must forge ahead. I always thought that I'd settle in Toronto by marrying a rich man and living the high society life, just like your grandma. But Coal Valley stirred my heart for something more. I was twenty seven when I met your father and he brought me adventure that I could never have imagined living in Toronto!"

"In my case, Catherine, my dream was to come out west just like your great Aunt Elizabeth, grandpa's sister, and to teach out here. I had a one-track mind so I could see why your mother thought I'd become an old schoolmarm! But when I met your Uncle Jack, my focus began to change and I realized the Lord had other plans for me. His heart definitely called my name; I had to answer, it was the right thing to do. Although I was still able to teach for a number of years, my new dream was Uncle Jack and becoming a mom. Life has a way of changing your priorities.

The best advice that I can give to you is same advice your grandfather gave to me - to find what God has shaped you for, and to give your whole heart to it. Also, remember to keep an open mind and an open heart, and remember to pray without ceasing. If you do this, the Lord will show you the way…"

"Your Aunt Elizabeth is wise, Catherine; I hope you can learn from her as much as I have." They all smiled at each other.

In the meantime, Jack and James were enjoying their hike and James asked, "Jack, do you enjoy retirement?"

"Yes, James, I do. It took me a little while to adjust. But to be able to wake up each morning with a beautiful woman by my side, and to enjoy the day with her, it doesn't get any better than that."

"I'm not sure that I'm ready yet. And I can't see Julie being happy just hanging around the house…"

"Well, retirement is what you make it. We're really involved with our church and our community. The nice part of retirement is that we can do it at our own pace…and enjoy it. We also like to visit Emily and her family and we look forward to visiting with William and Thomas."

"So, Jack, if we're delectable Mountie Mints, perhaps we should come up with a code name for our lovely ladies…"

At that moment, James slipped on the trail and twisted his ankle badly so Jack helped him back to the car. It was bad enough that they needed to see the doctor so they stopped by his office. He wrapped James' ankle, gave him some crutches and they headed back home.

As they walked in the door, James smiled at Julie and said, "You're not the only one that knows how to make an entrance…"

"James, what happened? What is with our family and making an entrance?"

"Elizabeth, how about we let them rest while you and I make dinner?" Jack said. "And by the way, Julie and her family aren't the only ones who know how to make an entrance…"

"Shall we discuss that _while_ we're making dinner, Mr. Thornton?

"Sure. I can dish it out…if you can take it…" smiled Jack.

To be continued


	16. Chapter 16 Dishing it Out

Thank you for reading and reviewing this story. I have had a lot of fun and this has helped me as we all wait for Season 2! I am so thankful for Hallmark, Janette Oke, and for the cast and crew that make When Calls the Heart such a blessing to me.

Chapter 16

Dishing it Out

Julie, James, & Catherine were tired from the long drive and the events of the day so they decided to take a nap. In the meantime, Jack & Elizabeth began preparing dinner that included baked ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, and homemade bread. Jack peeled the potatoes while Elizabeth trimmed the green beans and dressed up the ham with Pineapple and cloves.

"So, Mr. Thornton, what is it that you're going to dish out to me because you know I can take it…"

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Of course I want to hear it…"

"Ok. But keep in mind, Mrs. Thornton, that these are your words, not mine…

"You were just talking about Julie's family and how they like to make an entrance. How about you my dear? Do you think showing up to Coal Valley in the back of a wagon, all disheveled and no belongings, is making an entrance?"

"Jack, our stagecoach was robbed and I had to walk miles before someone offered to give me a ride!"

"I know…but those were your words, my dear."

"How about your first night in town and the fact that you burned down the teacherage, is that making an entrance?"

"Jack, it was an accident. My dress got too close to the fire and…"

"I know…but those were your words, my dear."

"How about your first day of school when you struggled speaking with the moms before class and you said that you needed 'a drink, not a drink-drink', is that making an entrance?"

"Jack, I was nervous…it was my first day. I was worried they didn't think I was qualified."

"I know…but those were your words, my dear. You said you could take it, Elizabeth."

"Well, what about you Jack? If I dish it out to you, can you take it? Maybe my family has a way of getting attention by making an entrance, but at least we say what we mean and don't hide behind our feelings!"

"What do you mean by that, Elizabeth?"

"I think you like to dish it out…but you can't take it!"

"I don't hide behind my feelings, Elizabeth!"

"How about the time you said that Mounties and marriage don't go together, that if they wanted you to have a wife they'd issue you one! And those were your words, my dear!"

"Elizabeth, you know that I was just reflecting that it was difficult being married to a Mountie living out in the wilderness for long periods at a time…that was true."

"Or did you mean to say, 'I'm afraid to ask you to the dance, Elizabeth, so I'll make up an excuse about Mounties and marriage and how they don't go together…"

Jack makes a face at Elizabeth but doesn't say anything.

"How about the time when you came to my house to let me know that you were glad that 'I got home safe and sound from my walk' with Billy Hamilton, and I asked you if you were jealous. You said that you didn't have to be jealous to be concerned. And those were your words, my dear!"

"Elizabeth, you know that I had concerns about Billy Hamilton, I was suspicious about him."

"Or did you mean to say, "Please don't go out walking with Billy Hamilton because I'd prefer you to go out with me instead!"

Jack scrunches up his mouth and looks at Elizabeth.

"How about the time that you said that Billy fooled me…but I wasn't a 'fool exactly'. And those were your words, my dear!'"

"Well, I guess we can both dish it out, Elizabeth. I hate it when you're right, Elizabeth! I did hide behind my feelings when Billy Hamilton was in the picture. The truth is, I regretted not asking you to the dance and I didn't want you go walking with Billy; I wanted you to go to the dance with me. The irony here is that I was the foolish one, Elizabeth, not you. I was a fool to think that I would be satisfied only being your friend since I already had feelings for you before Billy entered the picture. I'm thankful to Abigail for giving me the encouragement to ask you to dinner."

"Well, you know, Jack, everything happens for a reason. I guess the Lord knows how to dish it out, too!" she laughed.

"I enjoy looking back, Elizabeth, to reflect on our lives and to see how everything has woven together. As much as I hate to admit it, I needed Billy Hamilton to come into the picture to give me courage to face my feelings for you."

"Jack, one of the best parts of our marriage has been that as we've grown older, we've learned to adapt to one another and communicate better with each other. In the beginning, there was a lot of pretense, but now, we're more comfortable saying what's on our mind."

"Let's test out your theory, Elizabeth. What am I thinking about right now?"

"Umm…how much you love me and how you'd like to come over and knead this bread dough for me?"

"Well, I was thinking about how much I love you…but I had a different kind of 'knead' in mind… "

"One thing is for sure, Jack. You don't hide behind your feelings anymore…"

"Perhaps tonight I could demonstrate those feelings to you," as he hugged Elizabeth. "You know a picture is worth a thousand words."

"And you're really good at making pictures, Jack…"

Catherine walked into the kitchen while Jack & Elizabeth were embracing and said, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay, Catherine, we're used to it. Uncle Jack and I still love being together and I know this may sound strange to you, but our marriage gets better every year. You probably think we're too old for this but we still love to be together. Being young, you may not understand this but marriage is more difficult in the beginning when you're getting to know each other. At the beginning it's very exciting physically, but once that newness wears off, you have to figure out how to love each other. When you love someone, you sacrifice for that person. In marriage, you become one flesh and in that process of becoming one, you learn to get over yourself and do what's best for both of you."

"I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to do that, Aunt Elizabeth. I can't imagine ever finding someone so special that I'd be willing to sacrifice so much for that person. What you two have is special."

"Catherine, you're right, what Uncle Jack and I have _is_ special. But if you find the One, the Only One for you, your relationship will be special, too."

Kneading the bread, Jack chimes in, "You know, Catherine, a marriage is a lot like making bread. You blend the ingredients and knead it for a long time to strengthen the dough. If you don't knead the dough long enough, it will be flat and tough. When you knead it just right, you let it rise and bake it. Then you reap the reward of savoring it and enjoying it."

Elizabeth added, "You're young, Catherine, so it's natural that marriage isn't something on your mind. But when you meet the right One, life has a way of changing your priorities. Uncle Jack is right – marriage is like bread – if you take the time to do it right, it tastes so good!"

"I always love spending time with you Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Jack. You are very special to me. Would you like me to get out the dishes and set the table?"

"That would be wonderful, Catherine. I think Uncle Jack and I have had our fill of dishes today."

"Speaking of dishes, Aunt Elizabeth, did my mom ever tell you about her first camping trip with the Girl Guides?"

To be continued… 


	17. Chapter 17 The Comforts of Home

Chapter 17

The Comforts of Home

They all enjoyed the wonderful dinner that Jack & Elizabeth had made. Catherine smiled at Uncle Jack & Aunt Elizabeth, "thank you so much, I especially appreciated the bread and homemade jam that was made with such love…"

Julie piped up, "Well aren't you full of compliments, Catherine. Did I miss something while I was napping?"

Jack, Elizabeth, and Catherine all smiled at each other. Elizabeth looked at Julie, "we talked about bread and marriage and Catherine asked me if I ever heard about your first camping trip. I don't think you ever shared that story with me, Julie…"

"Catherine, what made you bring that up? That was a long time ago. And, I didn't know any better…we don't need to discuss that."

Elizabeth scrunched her lips. "Fine. But since when do we keep secrets from each other?"

"Well, if you must know, Elizabeth…

It was the summer of 1912 and I talked to father about letting Arthur, our butler, go with me on a camping trip. You know, father, he always had a hard time saying no to his daughters…even though he really thought it wasn't a good idea. But he trusted Arthur and knew that he'd take care of business.

Arthur and I filled crates of food and supplies to last a week. I was so excited to take that adventure, Elizabeth! So it was Arthur, four Girl Guides, and me that set out on our journey to a nice park outside of Toronto called Awenda Provincial Park.

Arthur brought a large tent for the Girl Guides and me and a small tent for himself, and the tents were the first test of our camping ability. So even though we didn't have a clue what we were doing, we all pitched in to figure out the tent. I remember how excited I was when we finally attached the last of the canvas to the poles and could set up our blankets and comforters for sleeping. Arthur was very helpful and did most of the work; he knew how to do his business.

So the next order of business was to set up the makeshift kitchen. We had taken a large buckboard on the trip so it would hold all of the crates and hay bales that we needed to take. We used the back part of the buckboard to set up the food preparation area. It was so exciting for me to be cooking over an open fire since at home, everything was so formal. And at home, mother and father wouldn't let us do anything. I wanted to show how I could do things on my own. After all, you did, Elizabeth!

That first day of the camping trip, everything went so well. We had a bite to eat before bed and went to sleep early because we were all so exhausted."

Elizabeth chimed in, "Were there any wild animals around you? Did you hear any noises when you went to sleep? Do you remember when we read about Aunt Elizabeth and how she heard all of those wolves?"

"There probably were…but we were so tired, we didn't hear any," Julie laughed.

"The next morning, the girls and I woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs that Arthur was cooking over an open fire. We also had some biscuits and jam and some fresh fruit. I can still smell that food cooked over the open campfire – it was wonderful! Unfortunately, so did the bear that came to visit us that morning!"

Catherine giggled, "Yeah, mom, tell her what the bear did…Aunt Elizabeth, the bear went over to the buckboard and…"

Julie interrupted, "I will tell my own story, Catherine, thank you very much. You're enjoying this a little too much, aren't you?"

Continuing on, Julie shared, "After we ate, everyone put their dishes on the back of the buckboard. The girls and I went to the tent and got ready for the day while Arthur went to take care of his business in the woods."

Jack began laughing hard. Everyone looked at him and Elizabeth asked, "Jack, what is so funny?"

Jack, struggling to speak said, "Julie, do you remember when Constable Patrick took you on a tour of Coal Valley when you first visited Elizabeth? You were gone for awhile and when Patrick returned he said that you were gone for an hour, that you couldn't find an 'appropriate place to do your business.' Before you wandered from him, you said give me one moment, nature calls!"

"So what's so funny about that?"

"I guess nothing," Jack said as he cleared his throat. "I just remember saying to Patrick, 'clearly you were assigned the more challenging of the Thatcher sisters! When you spoke about Arthur and him taking care of his business, it just struck me as funny. I'm sorry, for laughing, Julie!"

"That's okay. May I continue with my story, Jack?" Julie asked as Elizabeth gave him a dirty look.

"Of course, Julie."

"So, we're in the tent and Arthur is in the woods and all of a sudden we hear this loud noise – the bear was at the back of our buckboard eating the leftovers from the breakfast dishes…our china dishes…and as he finished each plate, he threw the china on the ground!" shouted Julie.

"China? You took china on a camping trip?" chided Elizabeth.

"Well, I wanted an adventure, Elizabeth, but why not still have the comforts of home? Who would have thought a bear would come foraging for the food on our plates?" shouted Julie.

James chimed in looking at Julie, "Well at least you weren't holding the plates when he came and took the food! And you thought you knew more about wilderness than me when you met me?"

Everyone laughed.

Catherine added, "At least Arthur had the sense to bring some metal dishes, too, right mom?"

"Yes, Catherine. Arthur was smart enough to come prepared for an adventure with me. At least, he thought so, until that evening!"

Elizabeth asked, "What happened that evening?"

"Well, we had a fun day hiking and after dinner I asked Arthur if he'd start a campfire for us. While he was washing the dishes, the girls and I took the hay bales and placed them nicely around the campfire for us to sit on. Well, Angel and Lisa kept playing with sticks in the fire and before we knew it, the hay bales caught on fire!"

"That must have been some bonfire, Julie!" laughed Elizabeth, "What else happened on that trip?"

"That's about all…" Julie quipped.

"Mom, how about that Mountie that came by with his guitar and joined you around the campfire. He sang to you, didn't he?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about him. I believe his name was Daniel…yes, Daniel Lissing. Mountie Daniel. I remember how captivated both Angel and Lisa were with him! You would have thought he was singing directly to them. They were so sad to see him leave. "

James asked, "Were you sad to see him leave, too, Julie?"

"No, he wasn't my type. He was more of Elizabeth's type! In fact, he kind of looked like Jack."

"My type? He looked like Jack? My husband Jack Thornton is a one of a kind, I'll have you know. No man could ever measure up to him!" piped Elizabeth.

Jack smiled at Elizabeth and said, "Thank you, Elizabeth. I'm glad _you_ never met Daniel Lissing or you may have picked Mountie Daniel instead of me!"

Julie said, "Okay, Elizabeth, I shared about my first camping trip with the Girl Guides. Did you ever tell Jack about your first time spending that night alone trying to prove that you would be brave enough to move to Coal Valley on your own?"

"I don't think I've heard that story, Elizabeth, but I'd love to hear it…"

"Well, I had to prove to Julie that I could stay by myself all alone for a week in a cottage. Julie, you said to me, 'you couldn't stay one week without the comforts of home!' Julie said that I had to do my own laundry, my own cooking, with no help from the staff, and if I did, she would give me her blessing to pursue the teaching position in the middle of nowhere.

Julie, you were so thoughtful to send me that beautiful bouquet of flowers on my first day, a bouquet complimented with poison ivy! When that didn't work, you and Edward unleashed a dozen mice in the cottage. Jack, you know how I hate vermin! I ran out of that cottage to the main house right into my father's arms. I'd told Julie she'd won, that I wasn't made of the same stuff as Aunt Elizabeth. And then to top it off, I found out that my own mother bribed Mr. Higgins to keep me from going to Coal Valley! I felt unworthy to teach anywhere!"

With tears in her eyes, Julie said, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I didn't want you to leave, you were my best friend. But you did, Elizabeth, and you proved us all wrong. You had the courage to come out here on your own. You were willing to give up the comforts of home…I wasn't willing to do that on a camping trip. And look at the life that you've made here in Coal Valley…with Jack...with your beautiful family."

"Everything happens for a reason, Elizabeth, and I'm so glad you happened to me" said Jack.

Elizabeth sighed, "Wow, everyone, that is so nice to hear. Well, I'm bushed, everyone. I'm going to hit the hay. Are you ready for bed, Mr. Thornton?"

"I will follow you anywhere, my brave and confident Elizabeth. You know, come to think of it, you kind of remind me of my elementary school teacher. She was very confident and you look a little like her. Her family was from Russia and her name was Miss Krakow…"

"Oh, I remind you of Miss Krakow and you look like Daniel Lissing? Jack, do you ever wonder what our lives would have been like if we hadn't both come to Coal Valley?"

"No, Mrs. Thornton, I don't think about that. The good Lord put us together for a reason and _you_ are all I care to think about. _You_ are the love of my life." Jack kissed Elizabeth and broke away saying, "with all this talk about Miss Krakow and that Lissing fellow, I hope we don't dream about them tonight…"

To be continued…


	18. Chapter 18 Dream a Little Dream of Me

Disclaimer: The characters in this Fan Fiction are the property of Crown Media, Hallmark, & Believe Pictures.

Chapter 18

Dream a Little Dream of Me

About 3 a.m., Jack woke up and noticed that Elizabeth wasn't in bed. He walked out to the living room and there she was, sitting there staring out the window. "Elizabeth, what's wrong?"

Elizabeth was startled. "Oh, Jack, you scared me. I didn't want to wake you…I was having a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm a good listener."

"I may as well, it's all your fault anyway, Jack. You're the one that said that you hoped we didn't dream about Miss Krakow and that Lissing fellow! Well I did, Jack! I dreamt about that Lissing fellow!"

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth. But, what's the big deal? It's not like you ever met him or knew him or anything… Are you sure you didn't dream a little dream about me? We do look alike you know!" Jack winked.

"No, Jack, I didn't dream about you. I dreamt about Daniel! You have no idea how much he reminded me of you! He looked like you and he talked like you, and he played the guitar all of the time. He kept calling me Erin. Who's Erin?"

With a confused look, Jack said, "Erin? Now, this is really weird. The name of my teacher was Miss Erin Krakow. How is that possible?"

"Really, Jack? That is weird. Maybe Daniel and Erin should get together!"

"So, what was your dream all about, Elizabeth?"

"Well, I was an actress and Daniel Lissing was an actor. We were both on the same television show called _Be Still My Heart_ and it was about a young couple who recently got married and moved to Los Angeles to pursue their acting careers. They shared an apartment with their friend, Cindie. Their names on the show were Daniel and Erin." Elizabeth scrunched up her face and added, "so that's why he kept calling me Erin…"

"Elizabeth, it was just a dream. Why don't we go back to bed and you can tell me all about it…"

As they crawled into bed, Elizabeth laid her head on Jack's chest and that made her feel better from her confusing dream. She continued on, "Jack, on the show, Daniel and Erin were so much in love…just like us. You could just see it in their eyes. I have no idea how actors can do that. How do they strip themselves of who they are and become somebody else so convincingly?"

Jack answered, "Well, I guess each actor brings some of their own life experience and imagination to each of the characters they portray. I know that I couldn't do it, Elizabeth. I could never imagine pretending to love someone the way that I love you. It wouldn't make any sense…it would be so confusing. When I was with Rosemary, it always crossed my mind that she was acting. And that was because you were the one for me, not her. I am so happy that what we have is real, Elizabeth. I am so thankful for you!"

"I agree, Jack. I'm so glad that what we have is real. When I kiss you, when I love you, my feelings are so intense. And I know that you feel the same way, too. How could I possibly act out those feelings with someone else? I could never be an actress – I would be horrible! But in my dream, Jack, it all felt real! That's why I was so disturbed. I really felt like I was Erin and the feelings that Daniel and I had for each other on the show seemed so real. The only part that seemed really weird was that we kept feeding each other strawberries."

"Strawberries, Elizabeth? I could go for some strawberries. _Erin_, how about giving _Daniel_ a kiss…"

"That's not funny, Jack!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she slapped his chest. "But I'll be happy to give my husband Jack a kiss!" It didn't take long before Jack and Elizabeth were back asleep again.

After about an hour, Jack rolled over and accidentally woke Elizabeth up. He started mumbling and it sounded like, 'Erin, I love you so much and I can't live without you. Will you marry me? Cindie will just have to get her own apartment.' Elizabeth giggled softly and went back to sleep. She couldn't wait to hear about Jack's dream in the morning.

When Elizabeth woke up the next morning, Jack was already awake, just lying there staring at the ceiling. "Jack, are you okay? Are you not feeling well? Since when do you lie in bed staring at the ceiling?"

"That depends, Elizabeth. Am I Jack or Daniel? You are Elizabeth, aren't you? Or are you Erin?"

"What are you talking about Jack?"

"I had a dream about my former teacher Miss Krakow. Except in my dream, she wasn't my elementary school teacher, she was my high school music teacher and she taught me how to play the guitar. And in my dream, all I wanted to do was sing to her. And she kept calling me Daniel, not Jack. This is messed up, Elizabeth. What is up with our dreams?"

"What are you talking about, Jack? What do you mean 'what is up with our dreams?'"

"Come on, Elizabeth. Remember last night when you had a dream about you being Erin and me being Daniel and we starred on a television show called _Be Still My Heart _with our friend Cindie? Don't you remember going out to the living room in the middle of the night? Don't you remember me coming out to get you and then we came back to bed and you told me all about your dream?"

"Jack, I don't know what you're talking about. I slept in bed all night long. In fact, I don't remember hearing anything last night…I was so tired. I'll get up and go make some coffee. Maybe everything will make sense once you've had a cup of coffee."

Jack walked into the kitchen shaking his head. "Can I have a large cup this morning? I am definitely out of sorts. I vividly remember coming out to the living room last night and you were staring out the window. You told me all about the dream you had about you and Daniel."

"Who's Daniel? That Mountie that Julie said was my type? Can I get you something to eat, Jack? Maybe you're hungry."

"Or perhaps I ate too much for dinner last night, or listened to one too many stories from Julie…"

Julie walked in and partially heard Jack's comment. "Are you guys still talking about Daniel Lissing, that Mountie from my camping trip? By the way, what was all the commotion about last night? I heard you two in the living room in the middle of the night. Is everything okay?"

Jack looked at Elizabeth and said, "Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth smiled and asked Jack and Julie, "Strawberries, anyone?"

Jack shook his head and said, "you're in trouble now, Mrs. Thornton, making me think I was losing my mind…"

"I'm sorry, Jack. I couldn't resist. What's my punishment, Mr. Thornton?"

"I'll think of something, Elizabeth. You wait and see…"

James walked in the kitchen scratching his forehead and said, "I had the strangest dream last night that I kept smelling strawberries."

Jack & Elizabeth looked at each other and began laughing. Elizabeth offered, "I don't think I want to go to sleep tonight, I don't want to dream. Let's stay up tonight…"

Jack chimed in, "Do you remember the first time you stayed up all night in Coal Valley?"

To be continued 


	19. Chapter 19 One Starry Night

Disclaimer: The characters in this Fan Fiction are the property of Crown Media, Hallmark, & Believe Pictures.

Chapter 19

One Starry Night

"Of course I remember the first time I stayed up all night in Coal Valley, do you Jack?"

About this time, a car pulled up – it was Emily & Jacob. "Good morning, Mom and Pop," said Emily as she hugged them.

"Good morning, Grandma Elizabeth & Grandpa Jack," Jacob said as he rushed over for a hug. "Good morning, Aunt Julie, Uncle James, & Catherine, I hope I didn't miss anything this morning. I'm ready for a story!"

"How about some breakfast first? You're a growing boy and you need your energy. I have a pot of oatmeal on the stove; let me get you a bowl."

"That sounds great, Grandma. And some milk?"

"I'll just have some coffee, Mom. Thank you."

As they sat around the table, Elizabeth repeated, while looking at Jack, "I remember the first time I stayed up all night in Coal Valley, do you Jack?"

"How could I forget? It was one starry night," Jack smiled as he looked up.

Elizabeth sighed. "It was one magical evening…and before that…one magical day. Let me tell you about that day back in 1910 first…

You see, Grandpa Thatcher had obtained a new teaching assignment for me back in Toronto because he was concerned for me. Grandpa Jack's former fiancé, Rosemary, had arrived in Coal Valley, hoping to rekindle their relationship, and…"

Julie chimed in waving her hands in the air, "you know, father, Elizabeth, he was worried about his 'Beth' because of the whole Tolliver gang thing. It wasn't about Jack. I told him you were fine, that Jack would make sure you were okay even though he was transferred to Cape Fullerton. We all Knew that Jack would do right by you, Elizabeth! I knew that Jack loved you before you did. Do you remember what I told after your date with Jack at Abigail's? 'Love at first sight often leads to short courtship! '"

"You told her that after our date, Julie?" Jack asked.

Looking at Elizabeth, Julie said, "Yes. And even though Elizabeth said it was 'much too early for that', I knew then how much she already loved you and if you had asked her to marry you then, she would have said yes, Jack."

Jack and Elizabeth looked at each other and smiled.

"Getting back to our story, Jacob. Remember that I said that Grandpa Thatcher had obtained a teaching assignment for me back east. Well, apparently, Rosemary overheard me telling Abigail about it and she told the town manager Gowan who, in turn, informed everyone at a town meeting that I would be leaving Coal Valley. Those two, Gowen and Rosemary, were a pair, weren't they Jack?"

"You could say that again," Jack said as he rolled his eyes.

"Getting back to our story. When Elizabeth arrived at school that day, her students were already there. They wanted to get there before she did because they had made some homemade cards for her." Smiling with adoration, Jack continued, "They loved her so much and they wanted her to stay in Coal Valley. Not as much as I did, though."

"I remember that day so well, everyone. My students made this large card for me that said, 'We love you, Miss Thatcher, you brought sunshine to our lives.' I cried and told them that 'I wasn't leaving them…not now and not ever.' At that point, Gabe asked me, 'Are you staying because of us or because of Mountie Jack?' I replied, 'that's a very inappropriate question, Gabe. Cassandra said, "Then it is Mountie Jack.'".

"Cassandra said that, Elizabeth? So Julie _and_ your students knew about us before you did?" Jack said smiling.

"Come on, Jack. I knew...I just didn't want to admit it. You know that."

Jack chucked. "I know. Let's get on with the story, to the good part. So, after school, I asked Elizabeth to take a walk. And we came here, where we now live, and that's when I told her 'you,re the one, you're the only one…don't go."

"And I said, 'I'm not going anywhere, Jack. This is where I belong.'" Looking over at Jack, Elizabeth added, "and you kissed me for the first time. It really was magical. And we built our home on that very same spot…"

"After our kiss, we were both pretty overwhelmed with emotion. We walked back to town and really didn't say anything to each other…we just smiled." Jack said softly.

"But that night," Elizabeth added, "the magic continued. As I was writing in my journal, I heard voices outside, so I came downstairs to see what was going on. Abigail had a tough day and she was exhausted and I didn't want to wake her. So I came out of the front door of the café and looked over at the jail where Jack was living at the time."

Looking at Elizabeth, "I had been sketching my favorite subject and I heard voices outside. I stepped out on the porch and looked over and there you stood, so beautiful. Everyone was looking up at the sky. You see, Haley's comet was passing over Coal Valley right at that time. It was one starry night."

"We both stepped down from our porches and walked out into the middle of the street to look up and see the comet. Haley's comet only comes every 75 years. It was truly a Once in a Lifetime experience, and I got to experience that with you, Jack."

"I really enjoyed watching…you and the comet. After watching the comet for awhile, everyone went back to their homes and I walked you back to your door. But the door was stuck…and the other doors were locked. I remember that you didn't want to wake Abigail and it was too cold to stay outside; so I asked if you wanted to stay in the jail for the night…"

"Grandma, so you spent your first all-nighter in jail?"

"I didn't know what else to do. It was so late and I didn't want to wake anyone. I didn't want to wake Abigail and it was improper for me to stay in the jail alone with Jack. But I did it anyway. At least Abigail could get a good night's sleep."

Jack chimed in, "it appeared that we were the only ones still awake and before going into the jail, Elizabeth and I watched Haley's comet a little while longer."

"I remember Jack. You reached for my hand and we stood there holding hands watching the comet together. It was really special. And then you took both of my hands in yours and said, 'thank you for sharing this moment with me, Elizabeth,' and you reached up gently putting your hands on my face and you kissed me so softly."

"And we held each other like we never had before. We had hugged before…but only because I tripped or because you rescued me from those 'bad guys'. But that embrace was just you and me, Jack, wanting to hold each other. That starry night was so special," Elizabeth sighed. "I never felt anything like that before."

Jack looked intently at her, "I love you Elizabeth. That _was_ a special moment together…one that will last a lifetime. We had many special moments that day…and night."

"Mom, what does dad mean when he says that you had special moments that night?"

"Emily, it's not what you think! We went into the jail, and your dad made up a separate bed for me. We stayed up all night _talking_. I really learned a lot about your father that night…what his life was like as a child…it was a lot different than mine."

"Your mom learned about my Pa and how much I wanted to be like him…how much I loved him. He was such a great father. Why I wanted to become a Mountie. And I learned a lot about your mom…"

"Like father like son, dad." Emily said looking at Jack. "You and mom have been great parents. Thank you so much for that."

With tears in her eyes, Elizabeth said, "It's easy when you have wonderful children and a supportive family, Emily. Your father and I are so blessed for all that we have."

"Getting back to our story…early the next morning I walked over to where Elizabeth was and she just had fallen asleep. I thought to myself…how could someone be that beautiful…and how lucky am I that she wants to be with me," Jack stated. "I couldn't resist…I had to wake her with a kiss."

"That was an awesome way to wake up, Jack. I realized then how I wanted to wake up every morning that way. I had gotten up and walked over to Jack's desk and sat down on his chair. On top of the desk he had a sketch book and I opened it to find a dozen or so sketches of me in it. His sketches reflected a side of me that was so…vulnerable. What a wonderful artist you are, Jack! Sometimes I forget to remind you about that."

"It's easy when you have a beautiful subject, Elizabeth," Jack said as he looked at her.

Catherine chimed in, "You two are always so sweet together…I hope I find a love like yours one day…"

Jacob interrupted, "I hope I write about a love like yours one day…or at least read about it. Your stories, your lives are wonderful. How do you remember all of the details?"

"I don't know, Jacob. Good genes, I suppose," said Jack.

"Will you tell me more about those _genes_, Grandpa Jack? Would you tell me about your mom and dad and your life growing up?"

"Well, let me get something to eat first, and then I'll tell you all about it…"

To be continued 


	20. Chapter 20 Boys Will Be Boys

Disclaimer: The characters in this Fan Fiction are the property of Crown Media, Hallmark, & Believe Pictures.

Chapter 20

Boys Will Be Boys

After lunch, Jack & Elizabeth and Emily, Jacob, and Catherine went for a walk since it was a beautiful summer day and a cool breeze wafted through Coal Valley. After a while, they found a place to rest at the park and Jacob pressed Grandpa Jack about his family and growing up.

"Jacob, you are relentless. Why do you love hearing our stories so much?"

"I don't know Grandpa. They make me happy. One day I'd like to go into the book business and share all of your wonderful stories with the world!"

"It's wonderful to have such big dreams Jacob," Elizabeth said. "You're a dreamer like your Grandma and…"

Jack began, "Your Great Grandma & Grandpa Thatcher were immigrants from England and they settled in Summerland in 1880. Do you know where Summerland is?"

"I know where it is Uncle Jack. My father was stationed there when I was little and we lived there for a short time. I remember all of the farms and the fruit harvesting there."

"Yes," Jack smiled. "Best peaches I've ever had. They were so juicy. And my mum sure knew how to make a wonderful peach pie!" Jack smiled and added, "Now that really takes me back…"

"Dad, why did you mum and dad emigrate from England?" Emily asked.

"Well, it was a combination of things. Unfortunately, my mum's immediate family all died from influenza when she was a young teenager. She lived with her aunt and uncle until she met my dad. He yearned to move out west and Mum was happy to be a part of his dream. When they arrived in Canada, they didn't know what to expect - they were so young. When they arrived in Vancouver, at their church, they met the Williams family who were looking for someone to take care of the grandparents in their home. So Mum and Dad moved in with them and what a blessing that was! The father was a Mountie and his wife was a wonderful artist. Mrs. Williams taught my mum so much about art. I guess that's where I get it from. And my dad really took a liking to Mr. Williams probably because Dad's father died when he was young, and Mr. Williams was so kind and helpful to everyone. He inspired my dad to become a Mountie.

After the Williams' grandparents died, my mum went to college to become a teacher. At the same time, my father went to the academy to become a Mountie. They were away from each other during this time and I remember Mum saying how difficult that was. But during his first year as a Mountie, Dad was stationed in Summerland and they moved there. The town was really small at the time, similar to Coal Valley when I arrived. The town also had a need for a substitute teacher because the current teacher fell and broke her leg. It didn't take long for the town to realize what a wonderful teacher my mum Mrs. Thornton was and they hired her on full time." Jack looked at Elizabeth and said, "Just like it didn't take long for the town to realize what a wonderful teacher Miss Thatcher was in Coal Valley…"

Elizabeth smiled at Jack. "Yes, but I was a better teacher once I became Mrs. Jack Thornton. Must have something to do with the name Thornton."

Jack added, "My parents settled in Summerland and after a couple of years, Jarrett Thomas Thornton was born."

"Who's that?" Catherine asked.

"That's Uncle Jack," Elizabeth smiled. "Jack is his nickname. His dad began calling him that when he was little and the name stuck. Everyone has called him that since."

"Except for my Mum, of course, when I got into trouble!" Jack exclaimed. "Jarrett Thomas Thornton, what did you just do, my mum used to say."

"What kind of trouble did you get into?" Jacob asked.

"Let me think back," Jacob. "But before I get into that, let me explain what it was like back then. My father was gone for months at a time, and that was hard on my mother. Mountie families stuck together and we were more like a large extended family. Since I didn't grow up with any brothers and sisters, I appreciated having that extended family. That's how I met Rosemary. You remember us talking about her before, don't you?"

"You mean that woman you were once engaged to before you met grandma?"

"Yes, that's her." Jack added.

"We spent a lot of time together when we were kids, especially after my father died. Like I said before, Mountie families were like family, and her family came alongside my mum and me when my father died."

"How old were you when your father died, Grandpa?"

"I was ten years old, Jacob. He was such a great father, so kind and caring. I wish you could have met him. He would do anything for anyone," Jack remembered fondly. Elizabeth reached for his hand. "I used to have a red jacket and pretend to be 'Mountie Jack' when I was young. I always wanted to be like my father."

"You've always been so kind and caring, Jack, just like your father must have been. I wish I could have met him," Elizabeth added.

"Dad, you're the best! You are just like your father…and we've all heard that you look just like him. Maybe I'm selfish, but I'm so happy that you didn't have to be away from us for months at a time like he was. I remember when I was young that you were gone for a little while, but it wasn't for months. I remember you always being there for me," shared Emily.

"Thank you, Elizabeth and Emily. That means a lot to me. But as a boy, I wasn't always kind to my mum. I spent so much time with her since she was the teacher so I guess from time to time I got into a little trouble…

I remember one time when I was about six, I stopped by the creek on my way to school and I filled my pockets with a couple dozen of little frogs. During recess, I went inside and put them in all of the desks. When we opened our desks, the frogs jumped out and all of the girls screamed! Boy, was I in trouble when I got home that day from school! It was funny - we found dead frogs in our classroom for weeks after that!"

"What else did you do, Uncle Jack?" Catherine laughed.

"Well, there was the time in the middle of class when grandma Thornton had to use the outhouse and found a big snake in there! She screamed and came running outside with her, shall I say, 'britches down!'"

"Jack, you didn't! She must have been furious!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"Yes, especially when she found out that I was the one who put the snake in there! I just figured that another kid would have gone in there first, not Mum."

"Oh, and I can't forget the time when I about eight when I took a container of salt to put on a bunch of snails to watch them cook and…" Jack started laughing and couldn't stop.

"What happened Grandpa? Did you Mum say, 'Jarrett Thomas Thornton, what did you just do?'" laughed Jacob.

"When I brought the salt back in the house, I didn't want my Mum to know that I took the container so I poured it in the sugar container. Let's just say that the cake my Mum baked for the town social that week didn't taste so good."

Everyone began laughing and Emily remarked, "So now I know why Thomas and William were getting into trouble when they were young. They got it from you, Dad!"

"I guess they did get into a little mischief when they were young, didn't they…" Jack said.

"A little mischief?" Elizabeth asked. "They were double the trouble!" laughed Elizabeth.

Jack smiled at Elizabeth, "Boys will be boys, Elizabeth…"

"Wow, grandpa, I never knew you did _those_ things. I thought I was the only one that thought about doing things like that…"

Elizabeth chimed in, "Well, Jacob, from my experience as the mother of twin sons, and as a school teacher of many young boys, I can assure you that is typical behavior for boys. There aren't too many things that would shock me about little boys…"

"Come on, Elizabeth, boys have some redeeming qualities, too. Remember your first year of teaching when Pockets carved you that wooden bird for you? He had a crush on you…"

"Oh, Pockets. What a sweet, sweet, boy. I can't imagine him cooking snails or putting snakes in outhouses or frogs in desks. He was so thoughtful. He once tried to give me a beautiful necklace that he found and he told me how pretty I was…" Elizabeth sighed. "I wonder what ever happened to him?"

"I heard he moved up north and fell in love with a wonderful teacher," added Jack. "That sounds like a good story to me…"

"Well, everyone, why don't we head back home and we can talk some more. Maybe James or Julie will have a story they'd like to share..."

"That would be great, Grandpa. I'd love to hear a story or two about Grandma growing up…"

Jack & Elizabeth held hands as they walked behind everyone else, smiling at the wonderful family they shared together…

To be continued


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